As a hip surgeon, I’m always looking for ways to help my patients. It’s not just about the operation. Helping you to prepare for surgery means that you’re likely to recover more quickly. The more I know about your health, the better the advice that I can give you. One of the ways that I do this is by using a Body Composition Scale. It’s a simple, non-invasive technique that could help to improve surgical outcomes and guide you towards better, more informed decisions about your treatment.
A Closer Look at Your Body’s Make-Up
Body Composition Scales, unlike bathroom scales, do more than just tell you how much you weigh. They break down your body’s components—fat, muscle, bone, and water—using bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA). This detailed insight goes beyond the superficial, offering an insight into your overall health and, importantly, your biological age.
Biological age, which reflects the wear and tear on your body rather than the number of birthdays you’ve celebrated, can be a critical factor in surgical planning. A 60-year-old with the body composition of someone 10 years younger is likely to fare better in surgery compared to a someone who has poor muscle mass or high visceral fat levels.
Surgery and Biological Age
Research has shown that body composition significantly affects recovery from surgery. A study in the Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery and Research found that patients with higher muscle mass and lower body fat tend to have fewer complications and a quicker return to mobility after surgery. Not all body fat is created equal; visceral fat, which wraps around internal organs, is linked to a host of problems, including inflammation and metabolic disturbances that can complicate surgery and prolong recovery.
For people with hip arthritis, this means that understanding your body composition could be just as important as choosing the right surgeon or implant.
A Proactive Approach to Hip Surgery
Assessing body composition can help tailor the pre-surgery plan to your specific needs. According to a 2021 study published in Frontiers in Public Health, interventions such as preoperative physical conditioning and targeted nutrition can significantly improve surgical outcomes for those identified with high biological ages. For example, building muscle mass through strength training can not only make the surgery safer but it can also help the recovery process, and reduce the risk of complications.
The Risk of Waiting
Delaying hip surgery when significant arthritis is present doesn’t just mean enduring pain a little longer. It can lead to a cascade of health issues. As mobility decreases, the risk of weight gain, cardiovascular problems, and even mental health challenges increases. According to a study in Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research, patients with higher visceral fat levels—often the result of prolonged inactivity and poor health—are at greater risk of postoperative complications such as infections and slower wound healing.
Recent research into aging suggests that molecular changes around ages 45 and 60 can accelerate the body’s decline, making surgical interventions riskier and less effective if delayed. Opting for surgery sooner allows patients to stave off these aging-related complications and adopt healthier lifestyles that can keep their biological age in check.
Looking Ahead
If you are thinking about hip surgery, the use of a Body Composition Monitor offers a data-driven approach to understanding how ready your body truly is. It’s not just about pain management—it’s about getting yourself ready for a healthier future. This assessment could be the first step towards a more proactive and personalized approach to managing your hip problem.
In the end, knowing your body from the inside out could be the key to unlocking not just successful surgery, but a longer, healthier life beyond the operating theatre.
The Measurements
The Body Composition Monitor measurements are listed below. When interpreting the results, it is important to take into account your general health and any medical conditions that you might have. Soke medications can affect the values. We will discuss all of these things when you have your assessment.
Net Weight
Weighing results from high-quality body composition scales are likely to be more accurate than a bathroom scale.
It’s important to note, however, that while body weight is a good indicator of health, it shouldn’t be assumed that a ‘heavyweight’ measurement means unhealthy. Muscle is heavier than fat, therefore you may weigh more once you’ve increased your skeletal mass. This is nothing to worry about.
Body Mass Index (BMI)
BMI is the most common way of determining overall body health and whether a person is underweight or overweight.
To calculate BMI simply divide a person’s weight in kilograms by square metres in height. BMI can be calculated on many weighing scales. It is a non-invasive way of assessing body weight – with links drawn between BMI and illness. BMI scales are a popular choice for many users to better understand their body health; however, BMI does not provide an indication of the distribution of body fat.
However, muscular users are often defined as ‘obese’ according to BMI. This is because BMI only uses weight and height and cannot distinguish between muscle and fat. This is why we recommend using the PBF figures instead.
Body Fat (BF%)
Body Fat Percentage gives a good indication of body health, but interpreted by itself could give a slightly misleading picture.
Body fat percentage is the proportion of fat mass compared to everything else (bones, muscles and water) and is displayed as a percentage.
The Royal College of Nursing says the healthy target for body fat percentage changes with age. For men aged 20-39, for example, the target body fat percentage is 8-20%; after 60 years of age this increases to up to 25%. For women it is 15-31%
Fat Free Mass (FFM)
Fat Free Mass is everything else: including bones, muscle and water. A Fat-Free Mass of around 10-12% for men and 20-32% for women is ideal.
Bone Mineral Content (BM)
This tracks the amount of bone minerals found in the body. A higher bone density and strength is indicated by a higher bone mineral content. Calcium is the largest contributor to bone mineral content.
Healthy Bone Mass for Men
| <65kg | 2.6kg |
| 65-95kg | 3.3kg |
| >95kg | 3.7kg |
Healthy Bone Mass for Women
| <50kg | 1.9kg |
| 50-75kg | 2.4kg |
| >75kg | 2.9kg |
Muscle Mass (MM)
This consists of skeletal muscles, smooth muscles and the water which is contained within them.
As muscle mass increases, the rate at which energy is burned increases, accelerating the basal metabolic rate. An increase in muscle mass may increase total body weight as muscle weighs more than fat. Therefore, it is important to monitor each aspect of the body separately using measurements from body composition scales.
Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)
Basal Metabolic Rate is the number of calories burned by the body when you’re doing absolutely nothing. It is based on the number of calories the body would need if resting for 24 hours. These calories are used for the body’s vital functions, such as breathing, blood circulation, brain function, cell growth and the regulation of body temperature.
This allows you to calculate an accurate calorie intake target for your body far more accurately than a generic calculation that might be found online, enabling you to create a diet programme.
A person with a high BMR burns more calories than a person with a low rate. Around 70% of calories consumed every day are used for your basal metabolism. It fits hand in hand with muscle mass, as the greater the muscle mass, the higher the BMR and the more calories are burned.
The average woman can expect to have a BMR between 1,200-1,600 calories a day, whereas a man can expect a BMR between 1,600-2,000 calories a day.
Total Body Water (TBW)
The Total Body Water measurement shows how hydrated the body is. Water is used in the body for transporting waste, helping organs to function, regulating body temperature and digestion.
The amount of fluid consumption we need varies from person to person and is influenced by climate and the amount of physical activity undertaken. Experts recommend an individual’s consumption should be at least two litres of fluid per day.
An average Total Body Water reading for men is 55-6l; for women it is 50-55l.
Protein Mass (PM)
Protein Mass refers to the amount of protein in the body. Ideally, protein mass should be about 17% of body mass. Protein should make up about 12% to 20% of your total daily calories. A lack of protein can be linked to an increase in body fat. There is a link between protein mass and muscle mass. As we get older we need more protein due to anabolic resistance, which lowers the body’s ability to break down and synthesize protein
Intracellular Water (ICW)
Water that is located inside your cells is called Intracellular Water. This plays an important role in allowing molecules to be transported to different organelles inside the cell.
In a healthy person, intracellular water should make up two-thirds of the Total Body Water. The other third should be made up of Extracellular Water (ECW).
Having an increased ICW can signal a positive change in your body composition. When muscle cells become larger, they require more ICW in order to power their cellular functions. Increased ICW contributing to an increased lean body mass can lead to an improved BMR, increased strength and a better immune system.
Extracellular Water (ECW)
Water found outside of cells is called Extracellular Water – which helps tissue to function well. Nutrients are served to membrane-bound cells via extracellular water, such as sodium, potassium, calcium, chlorides and bicarbonates.
An increase in extracellular water can cause excess weight and swelling in your limbs. Imbalances may cause symptoms such as decreased mental alertness, nausea and dizziness or result in high blood pressure.
Typically, roughly one-third of your body is extracellular water.
Health score
The health score provides an overall score for your body, taking into account height, age, weight and gender information. It is calculated out of 100; the higher the score the better.
A normal health score should be between 70-80, anything lower than a 60 is considered a health risk. A health score between 80-90, implies that the user participates in regular physical activity. Usually, only a professional athlete will achieve a health score of 90+.
Visceral Fat Area level (VFA)
Visceral Fat is often regarded as a bad thing, after all the skinny fat phenomenon is well documented. While it does have some negatives, a healthy amount of visceral fat is useful as it insulates and protects your vital organs. Ensuring you have a healthy level of visceral fat directly reduces the risk of diseases such as heart disease and high blood pressure.
VFA is used to determine the risk of diabetes, alongside BMI. VFA is shown as a level out of 50, with a score of 41-50 indicating an extremely high risk.
Metabolic Age (AGEM)
This is worked out by comparing the Basal Metabolic Rate to the average BMR of your age group. If the metabolic age is higher than your actual age, it is a sign that you need to improve your metabolic rate.
