Obesity has no adverse effect on the survival of unicompartmental knee arthroplasty in a long-term follow-up of 16 years.

PURPOSE

The role of obesity in unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) outcomes remains debated. The aim of this study is to clarify the impact of obesity on revision rates and functional outcomes of UKA in a long-term follow-up. The hypothesis was that body mass index and weight do not significantly affect the long-term survival of UKAs.

METHODS

A retrospective study was conducted on 143 UKAs performed over a 16-year period. Patients were stratified by BMI (<30 vs. ≥30 kg/m²) and weight (<82 vs. ≥82 kg). Kaplan-Meier survivorship analysis assessed the 16-year survival rates across subgroups.

RESULTS

The 16-year survival rates were comparable in the BMI subgroups (≥30 kg/m²: 78% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 60-88); <30 kg/m²: 84% [95% CI: 75-90];  = 0.093) but demonstrated a significant difference in the weight subgroups (<82 kg: 85% [95% CI: 76-90]; ≥82 kg: 76% [95% CI: 59-87];  = 0.045). Multivariate analysis, adjusted for confounders, showed no statistically significant impact of BMI ( = 0.202) or weight ( = 0.280) on the risk of revision. Functional outcomes, measured by knee society and self knee value scores, were unaffected by BMI at the final follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS

This study confirms that BMI and weight do not significantly influence the long-term survival or functional outcomes of UKA, supporting its use in obese patients when appropriately indicated.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level IV, retrospective case series.