The effects of obesity on orthopaedic foot and ankle pathology

It is believed that obese individuals may have an increased number of foot and ankle problems. The World Health Organization recommends a standard classification of adult overweight and obesity using the following body mass index (BMI) calculations: a BMI of 25.0 to 29.9 kg per m(2) is defined as overweight; a BMI of 30.0 kg per m(2) or more is defined as obesity. The purpose of this paper was to report a survey of 1411 patients in an orthopaedic foot and ankle practice and compare the incidence of orthopaedic foot and ankle complaints with the BMI.

One thousand four hundred and eleven adults, including 887(62.4%) women and 535(37.6%) men, were evaluated in this study. The BMI was calculated for each subject using the standards of the World Health Organization. The subjects were divided into two groups: normal and overweight. The normal weight subjects had a BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 (n = 684; 48.1%) and the overweight or obese group had a BMI greater than or equal to 25 (n = 738; 51.9%).

In this study, being overweight or obese significantly increased the chances of having tendinitis in general. If the subjects were overweight or obese, there was an increased likelihood, although not significant, of plantar fasciitis and osteoarthritis. If the individuals were of normal weight, there was an increased likelihood of hallux valgus.

Tendinitis, plantar fasciitis, and osteoarthritis usually are secondary to overuse and increased stress on the soft tissues and joints, which may be directly related to increased weight on these structures.