Impact of excess weight on surgical treatment of the ankle joint

Objective: to assess the possible effect of excess body weight on the results of surgical treatment outcomes of ankle osteoarthritis. Materials and Methods.Our study sample included 134 patients with moderate to advanced ankle osteoarthritis who underwent supramalleolar osteotomy or ankle arthrodesis.Patients were distributed among four groups according to their body mass index values: A) underweight (BMI≤18.5kg/m2), B) normal weight (18.5<BMI≤25 kg/m2), C) overweight (25<BMI ≤30 kg/m2) and D) obese (BMI>30 kg/m2). All study subjects were monitoredduring more than six months.they were evaluated physically, as well as by theVisual Analog Scale (VAS) scores and American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (scores). Results. Postoperative AOFAS and VAS scores at three months and six months were significantly better in all four groups vs. the preoperative scores. A comparison of the preoperative AOFAS and VAS scores yielded no significant differences between the four groups (p=0.505, p=0.779). A comparison of the AOFAS and VAS scores six months after the surgery revealed no significant differences between the four groups as well (p=0.313, p=0.711). Conclusion.For the moderate and advanced osteoarthritis stages, supramalleolar osteotomy and ankle arthrodesis exhibited the highest effectiveness regardless of the patient excess body weight. During the early rehabilitation period, excess body weight did not affect the degree of pain and functional recovery after the ankle surgery.