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filip brzeszczyński
Copernicus Memorial Hospital in Lodz
Lodz, Poland
About this Research Topic
This Research Topic is closed for submissions.
Background
Elderly patients undergoing orthopaedic surgery represent a rapidly expanding and high-risk group, with outcomes strongly influenced by pre-existing frailty, sarcopenia, and malnutrition. Despite advances in surgical techniques and anaesthetic safety, postoperative morbidity and mortality remain significant in this population. The goal of this Research Topic is to explore strategies for perioperative optimisation that can reduce complications, improve functional recovery, and enhance survival among older orthopaedic patients. We aim to integrate current evidence on sarcopenia assessment, prehabilitation, nutritional supplementation, and use of perioperative risk scores to provide a comprehensive framework for personalised, data-driven perioperative care.
Frailty and sarcopenia are interrelated syndromes that profoundly influence postoperative outcomes in the elderly. Both conditions reduce physiological reserve, impair mobility, and increase susceptibility to complications such as periprosthetic fractures, hip dislocations, infections, and delayed wound healing. In orthopaedic populations—particularly after hip fracture or arthroplasty—patients exhibiting frailty or low muscle mass experience prolonged hospital stays, higher readmission rates, and elevated mortality. Although screening tools like the Clinical Frailty Scale and imaging-based muscle indices are increasingly validated, they remain underutilised in perioperative pathways. Early identification and optimisation of these factors—through nutritional support, resistance training, and tailored anaesthetic and rehabilitation strategies—offer a tangible means to improve surgical outcomes and survival.
We invite original research, systematic reviews, and clinical perspectives addressing perioperative optimisation in frail and sarcopenic orthopaedic populations. Submissions may explore:
• Diagnostic and imaging-based frailty and sarcopenia assessment.
• Nutritional and exercise interventions before and after surgery.
• Predictive modelling for postoperative complications and mortality.
• Protocols integrating anaesthetic, surgical, and geriatric optimisation.
• Translational studies linking molecular, functional, and clinical outcomes.
This Research Topic encourages interdisciplinary contributions aimed at refining perioperative strategies, reducing complication rates, and improving survival and quality of life among elderly orthopaedic patients.
Keywords: sarcopenia, perioperative care, geriatric orthopedics, nutritional optimization, risk prediction, frailty, mortality, morbidity
Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
