Hacken B, Edwards C, Rogers A, Chinchilli VM, Mosher T, Lynch S, Silvis M6 and Black K
Objective: Osteoarthritis has a multifactorial etiology, and obesity is consistently identified as an independent and modifiable risk factor. The purpose of our study was to examine if isolated weight loss through bariatric surgery provides long-term improvement in knee osteoarthritis symptoms at two year follow-up. We hypothesized that if weight loss after surgery was maintained, patients would continue to have improvement of knee osteoarthritis symptoms as measured by KOOS and WOMAC scores as compared to baseline.
Methods: This was a 2 year prospective observational study. 12 patients who met inclusion criteria (age 18- 70, BMI>35 kg/m2, with symptoms and radiographic evidence of knee osteoarthritis who were undergoing bariatric surgery) were examined. WOMAC and KOOS surveys were administered at baseline, and 6, 12 and 24 months post-surgery. Statistical analysis was performed using Student’s t and Wilcoxon Signed Rank tests.
Results: Weight loss at six, twelve, and twenty-four months was statistically significant (p<0.0001) with an average weight loss of 27.1% at twenty-four months post-surgery. All variables from both KOOS and WOMAC assessments were significantly improved (p<0.016) when compared to baseline at 6, 12, and 24 months.
Conclusion: Isolated weight loss via bariatric surgery can successfully improve patients’ symptoms of knee osteoarthritis as reported in WOMAC and KOOS scores for up to 2 years after the initial weight loss. We believe that weight loss should play