Investigating a Problematic Trilogy: Osteoarthritis, Obesity and Knee or Hip Arthroplasty, and
Obesity and Musculoskeletal Disease- Not a Good Mix! A Surgeon’s Perspective
Date Presented:
16/06/2021
Topic Summaries
Investigating a Problematic Trilogy: Osteoarthritis, Obesity and Knee or Hip Arthroplasty
This thesis will investigate issues relevant to obesity and complications following knee and hip arthroplasty for people with osteoarthritis. More obese people are undergoing arthroplasty secondary to the increased incidence of community obesity. Obese patients are more likely to experience complications following surgery, resulting in greater health and financial burdens to the patient and the health system. Nevertheless, research is lacking regarding whether diet-based weight loss pre-surgery reduces complications post-arthroplasty in obese populations. Further, there is a dearth of Australian research concerning the effects of obesity on outcomes post-surgery. This multi-faceted project will systematically review evidence regarding the effects of weight loss pre-arthroplasty on post-surgery outcomes. A multi-centre, quasi-experimental pilot study will test the feasibility of a novel low-inflammatory diet for weight loss for obese people awaiting arthroplasty. A nested qualitative study will explore barriers and enablers to weight loss, with a specific aim to include people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds to address a research deficit. A large retrospective multicentre cohort study will explore the effect of obesity on outcomes post- arthroplasty. This thesis is relevant for the majority of people undergoing lower limb arthroplasty in Australia since the majority are obese.
Obesity and Musculoskeletal Disease- Not a Good Mix! A Surgeon’s Perspective
Obesity is arguably the most pressing public health issue. It’s widespread effects also include musculoskeletal health, particularly osteoarthritis. It is estimated one in five Australians will have a joint replacement as a result. This session will discuss the challenges of managing obesity in patients with musculoskeletal disease, particularly those who need orthopaedic surgery.
Meet the Speakers
Natalie Pavlovic
Natalie Pavlovic is currently a PhD student at the University of New South Wales. Her thesis is focused on investigating the relationship between osteoarthritis and obesity on postoperative complications in patients undergoing total hip or knee arthroplasty procedures. She is also a senior physiotherapist employed at Fairfield Hospital within the outpatient department.
A/Prof Sam Adie
BSc(med), MBBS(Hons), MSpMed, MPH, PhD, PRACS(Ortho) ,FAOrthA
Sam Adie is a clinical academic orthopaedic surgeon at St. George and Sutherland Hospitals, and Conjoint Associate Professor at UNSW Sydney. He has received over $1.5m in research grants, and has published over 50 papers. He has postgraduate Masters and Doctoral degrees in clinical epidemiology. He has an interest in clinical effectiveness research, particularly in joint replacement and trauma, and the quality of published surgical research