Incidence and Complication Rates for Total Hip Arthroplasty in Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Across Four Decades

Ninety-day postoperative mortality and complications in continuous and unselected single-stage revisions for chronic periprosthetic joint infection

PURPOSE

Single-stage revision has gained significant attention as a major surgical approach for periprosthetic joint infection (PJI). However, the 90-day mortality and complication profile of single-stage revision is poorly characterized. The purposes of this study were to determine the incidence rates of and identify the risk factors for 90-day postoperative mortality and complications of single-stage revision for chronic PJI.

METHODS

A retrospective review was conducted on patients who underwent single-stage revision for PJI between August 2000 and May 2022. Patient demographics, 90-day mortality, and postoperative complications were recorded. Complications were categorized into systemic and local complications. Patients in this study were further categorized into knee and hip revision groups. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify significant independent predictors of the outcome measures.

RESULTS

348 patients (144 knees and 204 hips) were included in this study. The 90-day mortality rate was 0.9%. The incidence rates of postoperative complications in knee and hip surgeries were 31.3% and 19.6%, respectively. The most common complication was deep-vein thrombosis (DVT). Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) was the independent predictor of mortality. In the knee revision group, fungal infection was identified as the independent predictor of recurrent PJI; regular alcohol use was predictive of wound dehiscence. Among hip PJI patients, age ≥ 80 years was independently associated with DVT; RA was found to be a predictor of dislocation and wound dehiscence.

CONCLUSION

For continuous and unselected patients with chronic PJI, single-stage revision demonstrated a satisfactory 90-day mortality. Nevertheless, the 90-day postoperative complication rates after single-stage revision in both knee and hip groups were relatively high.

Systematic Review of Total Hip Arthroplasty Outcomes in Cerebral Palsy Patients and a Comparative Analysis with Rheumatoid Arthritis

Background

Total hip arthroplasty (THA) is considered a successful treatment option for patients with degenerative hip arthritis. However, in the setting of neuromuscular diseases, patients with cerebral palsy (CP) are considered high-risk due to instability, contractures, and altered muscle tone. The purpose of this systematic review is to analyse the data in the setting of THA in CP patients including indications, types of implants, revision rates, and patient-reported outcomes and compare these with those of a cohort requiring THA due to degenerative arthritis unrelated to neuromuscular disorders.

Methods

PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library were searched from inception until June 10, 2023, to identify the relevant studies for THA on CP patients. The methodological quality of the studies was evaluated using the Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale (NOS).

Results

The initial search generated 190 studies out of which 21 met the inclusion criteria. The most frequently reported indication was painful hip dislocation or subluxation due to failure of prior nonoperative treatment. The most frequently reported complication was dislocation affecting overall 7.5% (0-28%) of all patients, while other complications included periprosthetic fractures and heterotrophic ossification. The survival rates of primary THAs ranged from 85% to 100% at 5 years and from 73% to 86% at 10 years. Patients with CP who undergo total hip arthroplasty experience a greater overall rate of complications compared to patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) that undergo the same procedure.

Conclusion

The current literature suggests that THA is a beneficial procedure for patients with CP through pain reduction and functional improvement. However, the increased rates of potential complications compared to the general population require careful consideration. We suggest that further investigations on the most appropriate time of procedure, implant type, and procedure are needed.

Postvaccination immune responses and risk of primary total hip arthroplasty-A population-based cohort study

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the relationship between individual postvaccination immune responses and subsequent risk of total hip arthroplasty (THA) due to idiopathic osteoarthritis (OA) or rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

METHOD

Results of tuberculin skin tests (TSTs) following the Bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccination were used as a marker of individual immune responses. TST results from the mandatory mass tuberculosis screening program 1948-1975 (n = 236 770) were linked with information on subsequent THA during 1987-2020 from the Norwegian Arthroplasty Register. The multivariable Cox proportional hazard regression was performed.

RESULTS

A total of 10 698 individuals received a THA during follow-up. In men, there was no association between TST and risk of THA due to OA (Hazard ratio [HR] 1.01, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.92-1.12 for positive versus negative TST and HR 1.06, 95% CI 0.95-1.18 for strong positive vs negative TST), while the risk estimates increased with increasingly restrictive sensitivity analyses. In women, there was no association with THA due to OA for positive versus negative TST (HR 0.98, 95% CI 0.92-1.05), while a strong positive TST was associated with reduced risk of THA (HR 0.90, 95% CI 0.84-0.97). No significant associations were observed in the sensitivity analysis for women or for THA due to RA.

CONCLUSION

Our results suggest that an increased postvaccination immune response is associated with a nonsignificant trend of increased risk of THA among men and a decreased risk among women, although risk estimates were small.

Outcomes of total hip and knee arthroplasty in special populations: a synopsis and critical appraisal of systematic reviews

INTRODUCTION

This study aimed to present and critically appraise the best available evidence investigating associations between some pre-defined patient-related characteristics and perioperative complications or other outcomes in THA and TKA.

METHODS

Electronic databases were searched (Medline, EMBASE, Scopus, CENTRAL) for systematic reviews assessing the following pre-defined patient-related characteristics as possible risk factors for worse peri-operative outcomes in THA and TKA: smoking, alcohol excess, rheumatoid arthritis, human immunodeficiency virus infection, hepatitis C virus infection, mental health conditions, and solid organ transplantation. Our primary outcome was periprosthetic joint infection. Results were analysed separately for THA, TKA and THA/TKA (mixed data).

RESULTS

Based on at least two systematic reviews being in agreement, the following patient-related characteristics were associated with increased incidence of complications as follows: a) Smoking for all-cause revision in THA, for periprosthetic joint infection in TKA and THA/TKA; b) alcohol excess for periprosthetic joint infection in THA/TKA; c) human immunodeficiency virus for periprosthetic joint infection in THA/TKA; d) hepatitis C virus for overall complications, periprosthetic joint infection and all-cause revision in THA and THA/TKA, and for overall complications in TKA. Our study found conflicting evidence for a) smoking as a risk factor for periprosthetic joint infection and aseptic loosening in THA; b) human immunodeficiency virus as a risk factor for all-cause revision for THA/TKA; c) hepatitis C virus as a risk factor for periprosthetic joint infection and all-cause revision in TKA. No certainty of evidence was assigned to these results as this was not assessed by the authors of the majority of the included systematic reviews.

CONCLUSION

We found that smoking, excess alcohol consumption, RA, and infection with HIV and HCV were associated with a higher incidence of periprosthetic joint infection in one or both of THA and TKA or mixed THA/TKA data. All our results should be interpreted and communicated to patients with caution as the quality of the included systematic reviews was generally poor.

Perioperative management of patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases : Updated recommendations of the German Society for Rheumatology

BACKGROUND

Prior to surgical interventions physicians and patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases remain concerned about interrupting or continuing anti-inflammatory medication. For this reason, the German Society for Rheumatology has updated its recommendations from 2014.

METHODS

After a systematic literature search including publications up to 31 August 2021, the recommendations on the use of of glucocorticoids, conventional synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (csDMARDs) and biologics (bDMARDs) were revised and recommendations on newer drugs and targeted synthetic (ts)DMARDs were added.

RESULTS

The glucocorticoid dose should be reduced to as low as possible 2-3 months before elective surgery (in any case <10 mg/day) but should be kept stable 1-2 weeks before and on the day of surgery. In many cases csDMARDs can be continued, exceptions being a reduction of high methotrexate doses to ≤15 mg/week and wash-out of leflunomide if there is a high risk of infection. Azathioprine, mycophenolate and ciclosporin should be paused 1-2 days prior to surgery. Under bDMARDs surgery can be scheduled for the end of each treatment interval. For major interventions Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors should be paused for 3-4 days. Apremilast can be continued. If interruption is necessary, treatment should be restarted as soon as possible for all substances, depending on wound healing.

CONCLUSION

Whether bDMARDs increase the perioperative risk of infection and the benefits and risks of discontinuation remain unclear based on the currently available evidence. To minimize the risk of a disease relapse under longer treatment pauses, in the updated recommendations the perioperative interruption of bDMARDs was reduced from at least two half-lives to one treatment interval.

Outcome measures and survivorship following total hip arthroplasty in adolescent population

BACKGROUND

The most frequent indication for total hip arthroplasty (THA) in adolescent patients has been juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). However, in recent years, other causes have become more prevalent.

QUESTIONS/PURPOSES

(1) What is the survivorship following THA across the diagnostic spectrum in adolescent population? (2) How are quality of life results affected by systemic medical conditions?

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed all consecutive THA in patients under 21 years of age, performed at our Institution between 1993 and 2018. There were 34 prostheses implanted in 26 patients with a mean age of 18.4 years (range 11 to 21). The most frequent diagnosis was JIA (14 hips), followed by avascular necrosis (10 hips). Patient reported outcomes were assessed using Harris and Oxford Hip Scores (HHS and OHS), Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and EuroQol-5D. Survivorship for revision and aseptic loosening was determined with Kaplan Meier analysis.

RESULTS

At final follow-up, the overall survival rate was of 89.3% at 12-year follow-up. Three acetabular components underwent revision surgery for aseptic loosening. Clinical HHS significantly improved from 37.5 to 90.6 points (p < 0.001). Mean OHH was 37.4 points, with a final VAS of 1.64 points. Mean 5Q-5D was 0.704 with an interquartile range of 0.4 to 1.0. JIA patients displayed worse pre-operative HHS scores, and at final follow-up had worse HHS, OHS, VAS and EQ-5D scores compared to the rest of the patients. Complications included three intra-operative femoral fractures, one sciatic nerve palsy and one adductor contracture.

CONCLUSION

THA in adolescent patients provides improved functional outcomes with acceptable revision rates at mid-term follow-up.

Cost and Complications in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients Undergoing Primary Hip Arthroplasty: A National Inpatient Sample-Based Study

INTRODUCTION

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease that affects multiple synovial joints in the body, including the hip. Hip involvement in RA patients is fairly common, but the current literature is lacking large-scale studies on the surgical outcomes of RA patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty (THA). The aim of the study is to examine the outcomes and hospital costs associated with THA in patients with RA and compare them to patients without RA using the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database.

METHODS

We analyzed the NIS database to identify patients undergoing THA between 2016 and 2019 using International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM) diagnosis codes. Multiple variables including demographics, medical comorbidities, total hospital costs, length of stay, and perioperative complication rates were then compared between patients with and without RA. Further, the two groups were matched for demographic differences, if any, using a 1:1 propensity match algorithm.

RESULTS

Patients with RA undergoing THA were significantly younger and predominantly female when compared to patients without RA. There was also a lower incidence of obesity and the percentage of elective THA procedures were smaller in the RA group. The RA group had a longer length of stay and increased incidences of blood loss anemia, blood transfusion, and periprosthetic fractures. These differences persisted despite matching the two groups for demographic differences, elective procedures, diabetes, obesity, and tobacco usage.

CONCLUSION

THA in RA is associated with an increased incidence of blood loss anemia, blood transfusion, and periprosthetic fractures, as well as a longer length of stay in THA patients.

Combination of C-reactive protein and fibrinogen is useful for diagnosing periprosthetic joint infection in patients with inflammatory diseases

BACKGROUND

The screening of periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) in patients with inflammatory diseases before revision arthroplasty remains uncertain. Serum C-reactive protein (CRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), plasma fibrinogen (FIB), monocyte/lymphocyte ratio, and neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) can help screening PJI, but their values in patients with inflammatory diseases have not been determined.

METHODS

Patients with inflammatory diseases who underwent revision hip or knee arthroplasty at West China Hospital, Sichuan University, from January 2008 to September 2020 were divided into infected and non-infected groups based on the 2013 International Consensus Meeting criteria. Sensitivity and specificity of the tested biomarkers for diagnosing infection were determined based on receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, and optimal cutoffs were determined based on the Youden index. The diagnostic ability of these biomarkers was re-assessed after combining them with each other.

RESULTS

A total of 62 patients with inflammatory diseases were studied; of them 30 were infected. The area under the ROC curve was 0.813 for CRP, 0.638 for ESR, 0.795 for FIB, and 0.656 for NLR. The optimal predictive cutoff of CRP was 14.04 mg/L with a sensitivity of 86.2% and a specificity of 68.7%, while FIB had a sensitivity of 72.4% and a specificity of 81.2% with the optimal predictive cutoff of 4.04 g/L. The combinations of CRP with FIB produced a sensitivity of 86.2% and specificity of 78.1%.

CONCLUSION

CRP with a slightly higher predictive cutoff and FIB are useful for screening PJI in patients with inflammatory diseases, and the combination of CRP and FIB may further improve the diagnostic values.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ChiCTR.org.cn, ChiCTR2000039989.

A systematic review and meta-analysis comparing complications following total hip arthroplasty for systemic lupus erythematosus versus for non-systemic lupus erythematosus

Background

Osteonecrosis of the femoral head is one of the most severe complications in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients. Total hip arthroplasty (THA) is an effective treatment for femoral head necrosis. However, there is no consensus on the specific effect of THA on SLE patients. The objective of the present study was to review the current evidence regarding rates of THA complications and postoperative function in systemic lupus erythematosus.

Methods

Two independent reviewers searched PubMed, Cochrane Library, and EMBASE from January 1, 2000, to December 29, 2021. The primary outcomes were postoperative complications, including deep vein thrombosis (DVT), hematoma, wound infection, dislocation, periprosthetic fracture, revision, mortality.

Results

A total of 179 articles yielded 28 studies eligible for inclusion with 10 studies used for meta-analysis. This study found a statistically significant difference in DVT, dislocation, wound infection, periprosthetic fracture, and revision.

Conclusions

This meta-analysis shows that SLE patients with THA are at an increased risk of DVT, wound infection, dislocation, periprosthetic fracture, revision, periprosthetic joint infection, following THA in comparison with non-SLE patients with THA. There was no adequate evidence to support the notion that the risk of seroma or hematoma following THA is increased in SLE. Also, there was no significant difference in HHS scores between SLE patients and non-SLE patients after THA.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13018-022-03075-8.

Total Hip Replacement in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis: Trends in Incidence and Complication Rates Over 35 Years

INTRODUCTION

Advances in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) management have made disease remission achievable. We evaluated trends in total hip replacement (THR) and postoperative outcomes in patients with RA in Western Australia (WA) over more than three decades.

METHODS

This was a retrospective analysis of routinely collected prospective data from a state-wide registry containing longitudinally linked administrative health data based on International Classification of Diseases (ICD) diagnostic and procedural codes. We included patients with two or more diagnostic codes for RA (between 1980 and 2015) and studied THR incidence rates (THR IR) and complication rates (revision, peri-prosthetic fracture, infection, venous thrombosis, and mechanical loosening). Survival rates were estimated by Kaplan-Meier method and predictors analyzed by Cox regression.

RESULTS

We followed 9201 RA patients over 111,625 person-years, during which 1560 patients (16.9%) underwent THR. From 1985 to 2015, THR IR (per 1000 RA patient-years) decreased from 20.8 (95% CI 20.1-21.5) to 7.3 (95% CI 7.2-7.5), and 5-year THR-free survival increased from 84.3 to 95.3% (1980-2015). Ten-year prosthetic survival was 91.2%. Complication rates in the first 5 years post-THR decreased significantly from 13.1 to 3.7% (p < 0.001). Mechanical complications such as loosening and periprosthetic fracture rates decreased significantly (> 35%, P < 0.05), while infection and revision did not change over the observation period (p > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Over the last 30 years in RA patients, THR IR and mechanical complication rates decreased significantly, but the medical complication of infection has not changed significantly.

[Perioperative management of treatment of patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases : Updated recommendations of the German Society of Rheumatology]

BACKGROUND

Prior to surgical interventions physicians and patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases remain concerned about interrupting or continuing anti-inflammatory medication. For this reason, the German Society for Rheumatology has updated its recommendations from 2014.

METHODS

After a systematic literature search including publications up to 31 August 2021, the recommendations on the use of of glucocorticoids, conventional synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (csDMARDs) and biologics (bDMARDs) were revised and recommendations on newer drugs and targeted synthetic (ts)DMARDs were added.

RESULTS

The glucocorticoid dose should be reduced to as low as possible 2-3 months before elective surgery (in any case <10 mg/day) but should be kept stable 1-2 weeks before and on the day of surgery. In many cases csDMARDs can be continued, exceptions being a reduction of high methotrexate doses to ≤15 mg/week and wash-out of leflunomide if there is a high risk of infection. Azathioprine, mycophenolate and ciclosporin should be paused 1-2 days prior to surgery. Under bDMARDs surgery can be scheduled for the end of each treatment interval. For major interventions Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors should be paused for 3-4 days. Apremilast can be continued. If interruption is necessary, treatment should be restarted as soon as possible for all substances, depending on wound healing.

CONCLUSION

Whether bDMARDs increase the perioperative risk of infection and the benefits and risks of discontinuation remain unclear based on the currently available evidence. To minimize the risk of a disease relapse under longer treatment pauses, in the updated recommendations the perioperative interruption of bDMARDs was reduced from at least two half-lives to one treatment interval.