Impact of Diabetes Mellitus on Outcomes in Orthopedic Sports Medicine Surgeries
Submission: 21 August 2024 | Acceptance: 30 September 2024 | Publication: 23 October 2024
1Waqar Satti, 2Hassan Raza, 3Mohib Ali, 4Ayesha Bano, 5Mobeen Ali, 6Ahsan Ul haq
1UHS Lahore
2UHS Lahore
3PIMS
4PIMS
5PIMS
6Associate Professor, Orthopaedic Surgery, Mohterma Benazir Bhutto Shaheed Medical College Mirpur Azad Kashmir.
Abstract
Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a chronic metabolic disorder associated with impaired wound healing, increased infection risk, and poor surgical outcomes. Its impact on orthopedic sports medicine procedures has become increasingly relevant due to rising diabetes prevalence.
Objective: To evaluate the effect of diabetes mellitus on postoperative outcomes in patients undergoing orthopedic sports medicine surgeries.
Methods: A comparative cohort study was conducted including 150 patients undergoing elective sports-related orthopedic procedures (e.g., ACL reconstruction, rotator cuff repair). Patients were divided into diabetic (n=60) and non-diabetic (n=90) groups. Outcomes assessed included infection rate, wound healing time, functional recovery, and complication rates over a 6-month follow-up period.
Results: Diabetic patients showed a significantly higher rate of postoperative infections (15% vs 5%, p=0.01) and delayed wound healing (mean 18 days vs 12 days, p<0.001). Functional recovery scores were lower in diabetic patients. Complication rates were also higher in the diabetic group.
Conclusion: Diabetes mellitus negatively impacts surgical outcomes in orthopedic sports procedures. Optimizing glycemic control pre- and postoperatively is essential to improve outcomes.
Keywords: Diabetes mellitus, Orthopedic surgery, Sports medicine, Surgical outcomes, Infection