Are Patients With a History of Septic Arthritis Undergoing Total Knee Arthroplasty at Higher Risk for Revision Surgery? A Single-Center Study

Primary total knee arthroplasty in patients under 55 years of age: is the mid-term revision rate worrying?

INTRODUCTION

The indications for total knee arthroplasty (TKA) are expanding to include younger and more active patients. Several recent studies have warned of a higher revision rate and lower patient satisfaction in younger patients. The aim of this study was to assess the survival of TKAs in patients under the age of 55 and to determine the risk factors for revision and complications.

HYPOTHESIS

The hypothesis was that TKA survival in patients under 55 years of age is greater than 90% at 10 years.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This work was a single-center retrospective study. All patients under 55 years of age with first-line TKA between 2006 and 2016 were included. The survival rate was calculated with TKA failure as the primary outcome, which was defined as revision surgery regardless of cause. The Kaplan‒Meier method was used to meet the primary objective.

RESULTS

A total of 168 patients (median age 52 years) with 193 TKAs were included. The mean follow-up was 7.9 years, and 24 cases of failure were identified. The 10-year survival rate was 86.6% (95% CI [81.1-92.2]). The mean time to failure was 4.1 years. Mechanical loosening and infection were the main causes of failure. Body mass index (BMI) appeared to increase the risk of revision (p < 0.01). TKAs with a third condyle were less strongly associated with the risk of revision and complications (p < 0.05), as was the presence of a tibial keel (p < 0.05). TKAs with posttraumatic gonarthrosis (p = 0.066), osteonecrosis (p < 0.05) and sequelae of septic arthritis (p < 0.05) appeared to be the most at risk of revision.

CONCLUSION

This hypothesis has not been verified, and TKA in patients under 55 years of age appears to have a higher revision rate than in the general population. The indication for TKA in these patients remains a reliable option, but certain risk factors must be considered.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

IV; retrospective study.

Total Knee Arthroplasty in Unrecognized Septic Arthritis-A Descriptive Case Series Study

BACKGROUND

Synovitis, like that associated with chronic bacterial arthritis, is a very rare finding during the implantation of knee endoprostheses. In such cases, we fix the knee prostheses with cement containing two antibiotics and carry out a course of systemic antibiotic administration. The aim was to analyze these cases for incidence, detection of bacteria, risk factors, and outcome.

METHODS

Out of 7534 knee replacements between January 2013 and December 2020, 25 cases were suspected during the surgical procedure to have suffered from bacterial arthritis and were treated accordingly. Total synovectomy was carried out, whereby five intraoperative synovial samples were examined bacteriologically, and the complete synovitis was analyzed histologically. The mean follow-up was 65.3 ± 27.1 (24-85) months.

RESULTS

In nine cases (0.12%), the diagnosis of bacterial arthritis was made histologically and by clinical chemistry (elevated CRP), and in two of these cases, pathogen verification was performed. Eight of these nine patients had previously had injections or surgery associated with the corresponding knee joint or had an underlying immunomodulatory disease. None of the patients developed a periprosthetic infection at a later stage.

CONCLUSION

With an incidence of 0.12%, it is rare to unexpectedly detect bacterial synovitis during surgery. Total synovectomy, use of bone cement with two antibiotics, and immediate systemic antibiotic therapy seem to keep the risk of periprosthetic infection low.

Arthroplasty after septic arthritis of the native hip and knee: retrospective analysis of 49 joints

Abstract. Background: Arthroplasty after septic arthritis (SA) treatment raises diagnostic and therapeutic questions. The main objective was to evaluate infection-free survival of patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty (TKA) or total hip arthroplasty (THA) post-SA. Other objectives were to describe the population's characteristics, surgical strategies, results of preoperative examinations and cultures of intraoperative samples taken at implantation, and postoperative antibiotic therapy. Methods: This is a retrospective, observational, monocenter study, from January 2005 to May 2019, including all patients undergoing TKA or THA with prior or ongoing SA in the same joint. Infection–free survival was analyzed and reported. Results: Forty-seven patients, 29 men, 49 joints operated on (30 knees, 19 hips), were included. Median SA-to-arthroplasty interval was 32 [1–216] weeks. It was <2 years for 43 joints and <6 months for 19 joints. Six patients underwent arthroplasty while still on SA treatment. One-stage arthroplasty was done for 43 joints and two-stage arthroplasty for 6 joints. Eight (16 %) cultures of intraoperative specimens were positive. Median durations of postoperative antibiotic therapy were 10 d for sterile cultures and 82 d for those that were positive. At 2 years, infection-free survival rate was 95.9 % (±0.02). After a median follow-up of 47 [18–142] months, no SA relapse was observed, but five patients developed new periprosthetic joint infections (PJIs) with a different microorganism. Conclusion: Arthroplasty may be a post-SA option, even within a short period of time. One-stage arthroplasty can be done if synovectomy is thorough, intraoperative samples are taken and antibiotics are administered until those culture results become available. We observed no SA relapse, but new PJIs occurred.

Outcomes of Primary Total Knee Arthroplasty Following Septic Arthritis of the Native Knee: A Case-Control Study

BACKGROUND

Septic arthritis of the native knee often results in irreversible joint damage leading to the need for total knee arthroplasty (TKA). The purpose of the present study was to examine the intermediate-term risk of periprosthetic joint infection (PJI), aseptic revision, and reoperation following primary TKA in patients with a history of septic arthritis of the native knee as compared with primary TKA performed for the treatment of osteoarthritis.

METHODS

We retrospectively identified 215 primary TKAs performed from 1971 to 2016 at a single institution in patients with a history of septic arthritis of the native knee. Each case was matched 1:1 based on age, sex, body mass index (BMI), and surgical year to a TKA for osteoarthritis. The mean age and BMI were 63 years and 30 kg/m2, respectively. The mean duration of follow-up was 9 years.

RESULTS

Survivorships free of PJI at 10 years were 90% and 99% for the septic arthritis and osteoarthritis groups, respectively (hazard ratio [HR] = 6.1; p < 0.01). Ten-year survivorships free of any aseptic revisions were 83% and 93% (HR = 2.5; p < 0.01), and survivorships free of any reoperation were 61% and 84% (HR = 2.9; p < 0.01) for the septic arthritis and osteoarthritis groups, respectively. In addition, as time from the diagnosis of native knee septic arthritis to TKA increased, the relative risk of subsequent infection decreased. Preoperative and 2-year postoperative Knee Society scores were similar between the groups (p = 0.16 and p = 0.19, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

There was a 6.1-fold increased risk of PJI in patients undergoing TKA with a history of native knee septic arthritis when compared with controls undergoing TKA for the treatment of osteoarthritis, with a cumulative incidence of 9% at 10 years. Subgroup analysis of the septic arthritis cohort revealed a higher risk of any infection in patients who underwent TKA within the first 5 to 7 years after the diagnosis of septic arthritis as compared with those with a greater duration. Moreover, the 10-year rates of survival free of aseptic revision, any revision, and any reoperation were significantly worse in the native knee septic arthritis cohort.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Prognostic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.