Obesity Linked to More Severe Bone and Joint Injuries.
An analysis of data regarding 300 patients treated for multiple orthopedic injuries found that obesity complicates the treatment of broken bones and other major joint injuries. The authors of the analysis found that the more obese a patient was, the more likely they’d require surgery to address their injury. They also found an association between obesity and longer hospital stays, and severely obese patients were more likely to be discharged to a continuing-care facility. Lead author Dr. Heather Licht adds, “Even when patients have the same severity of injuries, resource utilization is higher among patients with obesity, compared to non-obese patients.”
Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery, November 2015