Arthroplasty Practice in a Resource-Limited Setting: Indications, Nutritional Profile of Patients and Evolution in a Consecutive 2-Year Series

Abstract

Background and objective: Total hip and knee arthroplasty is a common elective surgery that significantly improves patients' quality of life.The objective was to describe the clinical and evolutionary aspects of patients treated by arthroplasty in two hospitals in Kinshasa, DRC.Methods: Cross-sectional descriptive study (2018 to 2022).A total of 75 patients who underwent hip or knee arthroplasty were selected.Sociodemographic, clinical, therapeutic and evolutionary data were analyzed.Results: The mean age was 57.8 13.7 years with a female predominance (sex-ratio F/M = 1.3).42 patients were obese.Patients with coxarthrosis and gonarthrosis were more obese (p < 0.05).While aseptic necrosis of the femoral head was found more in the group of non-obese patients (p = 0.041).Anesthetic incidents (6) were noted in the obese including 3 cases of failure, 1 case of respiratory distress and 1 case of hypotension.Out of a total of 75 patients, we noted 32 cases of complications (42.7%) including one intraoperative complication (trochanteric fracture), two postoperative dislocations and two late postoperative deaths.Conclusion:The indications for arthroplasty in this study are dominated by non-traumatic pathologies of the knee and of the hip (osteoarthritis and aseptic necrosis).Most patients are overweight, including obesity.The evolution is favorable in the vast majority of cases.