Objective To explore the efficacy of multidisciplinary nutritional support model in the perioperative management of elderly patients with nutritional risks undergoing joint replacement. Methods Between March 1, 2014 and May 31, 2015, 342 elderly patients who underwent joint replacement due to osteoarthritis were screened with nutritional risk screening 2002 (NRS2002). For patients who got a NRS2002 score of equal to 3 points or higher, nutritional treatment and intervention was carried out by doctor-nurse-rehabilitation therapist-dietitian collaboration and hospital departments related to patients’ complications. Results Among all the 342 patients, 225 (65.79%) had a NRS2002 score of equal to 3 points or higher on the admission day, in which 117 (52.00%) were male and 108 (48.00%) were female, 168 (74.67%) were at the age between 60 and 70 years old and 57 (25.33%) were at the age between 71 and 87. One day before surgery, the number of patients with a NRS2002 score equal to 3 points or higher decreased to 10 (2.92%), and the number became 68 (19.88%) after surgery. The difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). In those 68 elderly patients, 10 had a preoperative NRS2002 score equal to 3 points or higher, and 58 had newly developed nutritional risks after surgery; there were 23 patients with an age over 75, and 7 over 80. The NRS2002 score of all the 342 patients was below 3 points before discharge. For patients with nutritional risks at different periods before and after surgery, their serum albumin and hemoglobin levels were both improved after the treatment of nutritional support (P<0.05). Conclusion Multidis- ciplinary nutritional support for elderly perioperative patients undergoing joint replacement can reduce the incidence of postoperative complications, providing favorable conditions for the patients to undergo joint replacement surgery.