As millions of Americans experience the benefits of weight loss through the use of GLP-1 medications, some orthopedic experts are still torn on the potential effects the medications will have for musculoskeletal patients.
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Editor's note: Responses were lightly edited for clarity and length.
Question: How do you expect weight loss medications, like Ozempic, to impact the field of orthopedics in the next five years?
Alan Beyer, MD. Executive Medical Director at Hoag Orthopedic Institute (Irvine, Calif.): I believe, in time, the overall effect of these weight loss medications will prove slim on our field of orthopedics. While their efficacy, value and anecdotal patient comments are receiving significant attention right now, the long-term impact of these medications has yet to be determined, studied and analyzed. We have always drawn a correlation between joint pain and excess weight on joints as it relates to pain and conditions like osteoarthritis. That's physics. Weight loss does alleviate some knee pain, for example. But until we discover an effective treatment for arthritis, this disease's progression will continue in the joint and will, in time, need addressing. I get countless questions from my patients and from my radio show listeners about these medications and how they have played a positive role in joint pain reduction. For some patients, it's like a renewed sense of life to be out of chronic pain. Those patients are soon on the pickleball court because now they enjoy improved mobility. I see them again in my exam room with injuries from pickleball. I firmly see weight loss in patients as positive on their overall health. But for orthopedics, I predict limited effects over time.
Jason Brustein, DO. Orthopedic Surgeon at Resurgens Orthopaedics (Woodstock, Ga.): I expect medications such as Ozempic and other similar medications will have a profound effect on helping our patients live healthier lives. The ability to lose weight in a medically validated way will help those who were not candidates for surgery become more suitable candidates and can help to eliminate some of the burdens of joint and low back related issues that are concomitant with obesity. Overall, I think this class of medication is a game changer.
James Chen, MD. Orthopedic Surgeon at DISC Sports & Spine Center (Newport Beach, Calif.): If we can reduce the prevalence of obesity in the U.S., not only will this help improve symptoms related to degenerative conditions such as arthritis, but it will also improve surgical outcomes. We have known for a long time that obesity and malnutrition can adversely affect the outcome following orthopedic procedures such as lower extremity joint replacement. Therefore, if these medications can help patients lose weight and maintain weight loss, they could potentially reduce orthopedic surgery complications and costly revisions. Over the next five years, this would also open the possibility for some individuals to have elective orthopedic surgery, whereas they may not have been candidates previously due to a high BMI.