Adverse Effects of Smoking on Outcomes of Orthopaedic Surgery

Abstract

Smoking has many adverse effects on the musculoskeletal system, particularly on the outcomes after orthopaedic surgery. Smoking is associated with surgical site infection and postoperative wound complications after spine surgery, total joint arthroplasty, and fracture fixation; nonunion after spinal fusion, ankle fusion, osteotomy, and internal fixation and bone grafting for scaphoid nonunion; worse outcomes after lumbar disc prolapse, spinal stenosis, and cervical myelopathy surgery; periprosthetic joint infection and lower survival after total hip, knee, and shoulder arthroplasty; worse outcome after shoulder rotator cuff repair and anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction; and wound complications after microsurgery. Orthopaedic surgeons should inform smokers and motivate them to quit smoking before orthopaedic operations.