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Similar risk of failure after meniscus repair found in patients with high vs normal BMI
Researchers were unable to control for patient activity level, which could affect the risk of failure between groups.
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A similar risk of failure in meniscus repair was found among patients with a BMI of at least 25 and patients with a BMI of less than 25, according to a study.
“At this point, we do not have any evidence [to prove] a repair is not going to be successful for [patients with a high BMI] — at least in the short term,” David C. Flanigan, MD, of the Jameson Crane Sports Medicine Institute at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, told Orthopedics Today.
Risk of failure
Flanigan and his colleagues conducted a chart review and phone interview of 551 patients who underwent meniscus repair between 2008 and 2012 to determine which patients required additional surgery. At a mean follow-up of 2 years, researchers reviewed 410 patients (59% were men) who had an orthopedic follow-up of greater than 6 months and categorized patients as having either a BMI of less than 25 (49.3%) or a BMI of 25 or greater (51.7%).
Results showed 13.7% of patients required further surgery for a meniscus repair failure, with failure occurring in 16.2% of patients with a BMI of less than 25 and 11.3% of patients with a BMI of 25 or greater. If elevated BMI was defined as a BMI of at least 30, failures occurred in 14.6% of patients with a BMI of less than 30 and in 9.3% of patients with a BMI of at least 30. When controlling for age, sex, concurrent ACL reconstruction and meniscus repair, logistic regression modeling showed no difference in the odds of repair failure between patients with a BMI of 25 or greater and patients with a BMI of less than 25.
More research needed
This study does not make a strong statement for the failure rate of meniscal repair among patients who are morbidly obese, as most patients in the study had a BMI of 35 or less, Flanigan noted.
“If [surgeons] have [a patient] who falls in that morbidly obese patient population, the numbers are too low to say what the potential of any type of meniscal repair is,” he said.
Flanigan also noted they were unable to control for patient activity level, which could play a factor in patients with a higher BMI. These patients may be less active, which could lead to a protection of their meniscus compared with patients with a lower BMI who may be more active.
“But, at least for us, this is a great stepping stone for orthopedic literature as far as getting some ideas out there,” Flanigan said. – by Casey Tingle
- Reference:
- Sommerfeldt MF, et al. J Knee Surg. 2016;doi:10.1055/s-0035-1569480.
- For more information:
- David C. Flanigan, MD, can be reached at The Ohio State University – Sports Medicine Center, 2050 Kenny Rd., Ste. 3300, Columbus, OH 43221; email: david.flanigan@osumc.edu.
Disclosure: Flanigan reports no relevant financial disclosures.