Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists are associated with improved 90-day outcomes after total hip and knee arthroplasty : a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Authors

Branavan Rudran, Christopher D J Little, Antony J R Palmer, Andrew Judge, Alberto Carli, Andrew J Price, Abtin Alvand

Published in

The bone & joint journal. Volume 108-B. Issue 8. Pages 986-994. Aug 01, 2026. Epub Aug 01, 2026.

Abstract

Obesity and diabetes are risk factors for developing osteoarthritis and associated with worse outcomes following total hip (THA) and total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1as) improve glycaemic control and promote weight loss. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of GLP-1a treatment on 90-day surgical complications following THA and TKA.
A systematic review was undertaken according to PRISMA guidelines. Studies were included if they reported at least one outcome of interest following primary THA or TKA. In all the studies which were included, a GLP-1a was prescribed for the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus or for weight loss in obese patients. The primary outcome was the 90-day surgical complication rate in the combined THA and TKA cohort. The 90-day surgical complications were defined as: periprosthetic joint infection (PJI), wound dehiscence, periprosthetic fracture (PPF), haematoma, nerve injury, or surgical site infection (SSI). Secondary outcomes included 90-day medical complications and readmission rates, all-cause revision, healthcare costs, and length of stay.
A total of 78 studies were reviewed, and ten matched cohort studies with a total of 96,356 patients (30,350 THAs and 66,606 TKAs) were included. The mean age of the patients was 61.9 years; 60.1% female (n = 57,939). Two studies had a serious risk of overall bias and eight had a moderate risk. The confidence of evidence according to the GRADE assessment was very low for all but one outcome measure (healthcare cost: moderate). The rate of 90-day surgical complications was lower in the GLP-1a cohort (pooled risk ratio (RR) 0.73). The use of a GLP-1a lowered the 90-day medical complications and readmission rates (RR 0.78 and RR 0.79 (I² = 61.6%), respectively). At two years, the revision rate ranged from 1.7% to 3.3% for the GLP-1a cohort and 1.7% to 4.5% for the controls. Sub-group analysis showed a stronger association in the THA group, in which the use of a GLP-1a was associated with significantly lower rates of 90-day surgical complications (RR 0.63), 90-day medical complications (RR 0.55), and 90-day readmissions (RR 0.82). In contrast, the use of a GLP-1a in the TKA group was only sigificantly associated with a lower 90-day readmission rate (RR 0.77).
GLP-1a treatment before THA and TKA potentially reduces the 90-day surgical and medical complications and 90-day readmission rates in high-risk diabetic and obese patients. The use of a GLP-1a may also be associated with substantial cost savings.

PMID:
42538001
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 01 Aug 2026.

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