Results published in The Journal of Orthopaedic Trauma showed wound complications after operative treatment of pelvic and acetabular fractures were more likely to be predicted with a waist-hip ratio proxy compared with BMI.

Researchers analyzed BMI and waist-hip ratio proxy to predict the risk of wound complications among 161 patients who underwent operative repair of pelvis and acetabulum fractures. Researchers grouped BMI into high-risk categories of 30 kg/m² or greater and 40 kg/m² or greater, while the WHO high-risk profile for women and men was used to group waist-hip ratio proxy.