Exploring the relationship between body mass index, mental health and outcomes of a regional physiotherapy‐led post‐arthroplasty review clinic

Objective: To determine whether 12‐month hip and knee outcomes of a regional arthroplasty clinic were comparable to results from metropolitan‐based clinics, and to explore a possible relationship between body mass index and depression to identify groups at risk of not achieving optimal outcomes.
Design: A prospective observational study.
Setting: A regional physiotherapy‐led post‐arthroplasty review clinic.
Participants: Patients after hip or knee replacement.
Interventions: Patients underwent either total hip or total knee joint arthroplasty.
Main outcome measures: SF‐12 Health Survey, Oxford Hip/Knee Scale, 10‐minute walk test, knee range of motion, body mass index and the Hospital Anxiety and
Depression Scale.
Results: Physical outcomes were comparable to those reported by metropolitan‐
based clinics. People with a high body mass index showed most improvement in the severity of depression compared to those with a lower body mass index.
Conclusion: It is important to consider the long‐term effects of obesity on arthroplasty outcomes.