Risk Factors for Periprosthetic Joint Infection Following Primary Total Hip Arthroplasty: A Case Control Study

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Abstract

The purpose of this study was to identify the specific comorbidities and demographic factors that are independently associated with an increased risk of periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) in total hip arthroplasty (THA) patients. A case–control study design was used to compare 88 patients who underwent unilateral primary THA and developed PJI with 499 unilateral primary THA patients who did not develop PJI. The impact of 18 comorbid conditions and other demographic factors on PJI was examined. Depression, obesity, cardiac arrhythmia, and male gender were found to be independently associated with an increased risk of PJI in THA patients. This information is important to consider when counseling patients on the risks associated with elective THA, and for risk-adjusting publicly reported THA outcomes.

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Methods

Data from 587 unilateral primary THA patients performed between 1990 and 2011 were compiled from 5 clinical sites (University of California, San Francisco Medical Center; Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois; Rubin Institute for Advanced Orthopaedics, Sinai Hospital of Baltimore, Maryland; Minneapolis Veterans Administration Medical Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota, OrthoCarolina Charlotte, North Carolina).

Eight-eight patients who developed a PJI were matched to 499 patients who did

Results

Data were examined for 587 total hip arthroplasty (THA) patients including 88 patients diagnosed with PJI. Of the 499 patients without PJI, 269 (54%) were men and 225 (45%) were over the age of 65 years. Of the 88 patients diagnosed with a PJI, 54 (61%) were men and 38 (43%) were over the age of 65 years (Table 1). There was no significant difference in the age, gender, and race distribution, between patients with or without PJI following THA (age P = 0.57, gender P = 0.19, race P = 0.83). Median time

Discussion

The results from our study show that depression, obesity, cardiac arrhythmia, and male gender are independently associated with an increased risk of PJI in THA patients. Our study is the largest retrospective, multi-center study to date conducted using direct chart review to compare THA patients with and without PJI. Though previous studies have found associations with diabetes, rheumatologic disease, and increased patient age with increased risk of PJIs, we did not find these conditions to be

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The Conflict of Interest statement associated with this article can be found at http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.arth.2013.04.015.

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