Periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) following total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is a devastating complication. It is associated with high morbidity and mortality. It remains, unfortunately, one of the most common modes of failure in TKA. Much attention has been paid to the treatment of PJI once it occurs. Our attention, however, should focus on how to reduce the risk of PJI from developing in the first place. Infection prevention should focus on reducing modifiable risk factors that place patients at increasing risk for developing PJI. These areas include pre-operative patient optimization and intra-operative measures to reduce risk. Pre-operative Modifiable Risk Factors: There are several patient related factors that have been shown to increase patient's risk of developing PJI. Many of these are modifiable risk factors can and should be optimised prior to surgery. Obesity and in particular Morbid Obesity (BMI >40) has a strong association with increased risk of PJI. Appropriate and healthy weight loss strategies should be instituted prior to elective TKA. Uncontrolled Diabetes (Hgb A1C >8) and poor glycemic control around the time of surgery increases the risk for complications, especially PJI. Malnutrition should be screened for in at-risk patients. Low Albumin levels are a risk factor for PJI and should be corrected. Patients should be required to stop smoking 6 weeks prior to surgery to lower risk. Low Vitamin D levels have been show to increase risk of PJI. Reduction of colonization of patient's nares with methicillin sensitive (MSSA) and resistant (MRSA) staphylococcus should be addressed with a screen and treat program. Intra-operative Measures to Reduce PJI: During surgery, several steps should be taken to reduce risk of infection. Appropriate dosing and timing of antibiotics is critical and a first generation cephalosporin remains the antibiotic of choice. The use of antibiotic cement remains controversial with regards to its PJI prophylactic effectiveness. The utilization of a dilute betadine lavage has demonstrated decreased rate of PJI. Maintaining normothermia is critical to improve the body's ability to fight infection. An alcohol-based skin preparation can reduce skin flora as a cause of PJI. Appropriate selection of skin incisions and soft tissue handling can reduce wound healing problems and reduce development of PJI. Likewise, the use of occlusive dressing has been shown to promote wound healing and reduce PJI rates

Aim

Prosthetic joint replacement is more commonly done in the elderly group of patients due to an increase pathology related to joint degeneration that comes with age. In this age group is also more frequent having underling condition that may predispose to a prosthetic joint infection. Also, the pharmacological intervention in those patients may play an important role as a risk factor for infection after joint replacement surgery. The use of oral anticoagulants seems to be particularly increased in elderly patients but there aren't enough data published to support an association between prosthetic joint infection and the use of oral anticoagulants.

Identifying risk factors in elderly patients age >75 years old with a special focus on the oral anticoagulation therapy is the aim of the study.

Iliopsoas impingement occurs in between 5–30% of patients after hip arthroplasty and has been thought to only be caused by an oversized cup, cup malpositioning, or the depth of the psoas valley. However, no study has associated the relationship between preoperative measurements with the risk of impingement. This study sought to assess impingement between the iliopsoas and acetabular cup using a novel validated model to determine the risk factors for iliopsoas impingement.

413 patients received lower limb CT scans and lateral x-rays that were segmented, landmarked, and measured using a validated preoperative planning protocol. Implants were positioned according to the preference of ten experienced surgeons. The segmented bones were transformed to the standing reference frame and simulated with a novel computational model that detects impingement between the iliopsoas and acetabular cup. Definitions of patients at-risk and not at-risk of impingement were defined from a previous validation study of the simulation. At-risk patients were propensity score matched to not at-risk patients.

21% of patients were assessed as being at-risk of iliopsoas impingement. Significant differences between at-risk patients and not at-risk patients were observed in standing pelvic tilt (p << 0.01), standing femoral internal rotation (p << 0.01), medio-lateral centre-of-rotation (COR) change (p << 0.01), supine cup anteversion (p << 0.01), pre- to postoperative cup offset change (p << 0.001), postoperative gross offset (p = 0.009), and supero-inferior COR change (p = 0.02).

Impingement between the iliopsoas and acetabular cup is under-studied and may be more common than is published in the literature. Previously it has been thought to only be related to cup size or positioning. However, we have observed significant differences between at-risk and not at-risk patients in additional measurements. This indicates that its occurrence is more complex than simply being related to cup position.

Arthrofibrosis is a less common complication following anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction and there are concerns that undergoing early surgery may be associated with arthrofibrosis. The aim of this study was to identify the patient and surgical risk factors for arthrofibrosis following primary ACL reconstruction.

Primary ACL reconstructions prospectively recorded in the New Zealand ACL Registry between April 2014 and December 2019 were analyzed. The Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) database was used to identify patients who underwent a subsequent reoperation with review of operation notes to identify those who had a reoperation for “arthrofibrosis” or “stiffness”. Univariate Chi-Square test and multivariate Cox regression analysis was performed. Hazard ratios (HR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were computed to identify the risk factors for arthrofibrosis.

9617 primary ACL reconstructions were analyzed, of which 215 patients underwent a subsequent reoperation for arthrofibrosis (2.2%). A higher risk of arthrofibrosis was observed in female patients (adjusted HR = 1.67, 95% CI 1.22 – 2.27, p = 0.001), patients with a history of previous knee surgery (adjusted HR = 1.97, 95% CI 1.11 – 3.50, p = 0.021) and when a transtibial femoral tunnel drilling technique was used (adjusted HR = 1.55, 95% CI 1.06 – 2.28, p = 0.024). Patients who underwent early ACL reconstruction within 6 weeks of their injury did not have a higher risk of arthrofibrosis when compared to patients who underwent surgery more than 6 weeks after their injury (3.5% versus 2.1%, adjusted HR = 1.56, 95% CI 0.97 – 2.50, p = 0.07). Age, graft type and concomitant meniscal injury did not influence the rate of arthrofibrosis.

Female sex, a history of previous knee surgery and a transtibial femoral tunnel drilling technique are risk factors for arthrofibrosis following primary ACL reconstruction.

Aims

Despite numerous studies on periprosthetic joint infections (PJI), there are no robust data on the risk factors and timing of metachronous infections. This study was performed to answer the following questions: 1) Is there any difference of manifestation time of metachronous PJIs between different localizations of multiple artificial joints? 2) Can we identify any specific risk factor for metachronous PJIs for different localizations of multiple artificial joints?

Aim

Sepsis is a life-threatening complication of periprosthetic joint infections (PJI) that requires early and effective therapy. This study aims to investigate the epidemiology, associated risk factors, and outcome of sepsis in the context of periprosthetic joint infections (PJI).

Aim

Ankle fracture surgery comes with a risk of fracture-related infection (FRI). Identifying risk factors are important in preoperative planning, in management of patients, and for information to the individual patient about their risk of complications. In addition, modifiable factors can be addressed prior to surgery. The aim of the current paper was to identify risk factors for FRI in patients operated for ankle fractures.

Psoas tendinopathy is a potential cause of groin pain after primary total hip arthroplasty (THA). The direct anterior approach (DAA) is becoming increasingly popular as the standard approach for primary THA due to being a muscle preserving technique. It is unclear what the prevalence is for the development of psoas-related pain after DAA THA, how this can influence patient reported outcome, and which risk factors can be identified.

This retrospective case control study of prospectively recorded data evaluated 1784 patients who underwent 2087 primary DAA THA procedures between January 2017 and September 2019. Psoas tendinopathy was defined as (1) persistence of groin pain after DAA THA and was triggered by active hip flexion, (2) exclusion of other causes such as dislocation, infection, implant loosening or (occult) fractures, and (3) a positive response to an image-guided injection with xylocaine and steroid into the psoas tendon sheath. Complication-, re-operation rates, and patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) were measured.

Forty-three patients (45 hips; 2.2%) were diagnosed with psoas tendinopathy according to the above-described criteria. The mean age of patients who developed psoas tendinopathy was 50.8±11.7 years, which was significantly lower than the mean age of patients without psoas pain (62.4±12.7y; p<0.001). Patients with primary hip osteoarthritis were significantly less likely to develop psoas tendinopathy (14/1207; 1.2%) in comparison to patients with secondary hip osteoarthritis to dysplasia (18/501; 3.6%) (p<0.001) or FAI (12/305; 3.9%) (p<0.001). Patients with psoas tendinopathy had significantly lower PROM scores at 6 weeks and 1 year follow-up.

Psoas tendinopathy was present in 2.2% after DAA THA. Younger age and secondary osteoarthritis due to dysplasia or FAI were risk factors for the development of psoas tendinopathy. Post-operatively, patients with psoas tendinopathy often also presented with low back pain and lateral trochanteric pain. Psoas tendinopathy had an important influence on the evolution of PROM scores.

The optimal timing of when to perform manipulation under anesthesia (MUA) for stiffness following total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is unclear. This study aimed to identify the risk factors for MUA following primary TKA and whether performing an “early” MUA within 3 months results in a greater improvement in range of motion.

Primary TKAs performed between January 2013 and December 2018 at three tertiary New Zealand hospitals were reviewed. International Classification of Diseases discharge coding was used to identify patients who underwent an MUA. Multivariate Cox regression was performed to identify patient and surgical risk factors for MUA. Pre- and post-MUA knee flexion angles were identified through manual review of operation notes. Multivariate linear regression was performed to compare the mean flexion angles pre- and post-MUA, as well as the mean gain in flexion, between patients undergoing “early” (<3 months) versus “late” MUA (>3 months).

7386 primary TKAs were analyzed in which 131 underwent subsequent MUA (1.8%). Patients aged <65 years were two times more likely to undergo MUA compared to patients aged ≥65 years (2.5% versus 1.3%, adjusted hazard ratio = 2.1, p<0.001). Gender, body mass index, patient comorbidities or a history of cancer were not associated with the risk of MUA. There was no difference in the final post-MUA flexion angle between patients who underwent early versus late MUA (104.7 versus 104.1 degrees, p = 0.819). However, patients who underwent early MUA had poorer pre-MUA flexion (72.3 versus 79.6 degrees, p = 0.012), and subsequently had a greater overall gain in flexion compared to patients who underwent late MUA (mean gain 33.1 versus 24.3 degrees, p<0.001).

Younger age was the only patient risk factor for MUA. A greater overall gain in flexion was achieved in patients who underwent early MUA within 3 months.

Aims

Using the Australian and New Zealand Hip Fracture Registry (ANZHFR) data, this study aimed to identify patient, fracture, and management factors associated with survival, mobility and residential status at 120 days. This will allow future interventions to target modifiable risk factors to improve the overall care of patients with hip fractures.

The aim of this study was to determine the incidence, annual trend, perioperative outcomes, and identify risk factors of early-onset (≤ 90 days) deep surgical site infection (SSI) following primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA) for osteoarthritis. Risk factors for early-onset deep SSI were assessed.

We performed a retrospective population-based cohort study using prospectively collected patient-level data from several provincial administrative data repositories between January 2013, and March 2020. The diagnosis of early-onset deep SSI was based on published Centre for Disease Control/National Healthcare Safety Network (CDC/NHSN) definitions. The Mann-Kendall Trend Test was used to detect monotonic trends in early-onset deep SSI rates over time. The effects of various patient and surgical risk factors for early-onset deep SSI were analyzed using multiple logistic regression. Secondary outcomes were 90-day mortality and 90-day readmission.

A total of 20,580 patients underwent primary TKA for osteoarthritis. Forty patients had a confirmed deep SSI within 90-days of surgery representing a cumulative incidence of 0.19%. The annual infection rate did not change over the 7-year study period (p = 0.879). Risk factors associated with early-onset deep SSI included blood transfusions (OR, 3.93 [95% CI 1.34-9.20]; p=0.004), drug or alcohol abuse (OR, 4.91 [95% CI 1.85-10.93]; p<0.001), and surgeon volume less than 30 TKA per year (OR, 4.45 [1.07-12.43]; p=0.013). Early-onset deep SSI was not associated with 90-days mortality (OR, 11.68 [0.09-90-58]; p=0.217), but was associated with an increased chance of 90-day readmission (OR, 50.78 [26.47-102.02]; p<0.001).

This study establishes a reliable baseline infection rate for early-onset deep SSI after TKA for osteoarthritis through the use of a robust methodological process. Several risk factors for early-onset deep SSI are potentially modifiable or can be optimized prior to surgery and be effective in reducing the incidence of early-onset SSI. This could guide the formulation of provincial screening programs and identify patients at high risk for SSI.

Aim

Acute post-surgical infection is one of the most serious complications after instrumented thoracolumbar fusion with an incidence of 0.7%-12%. Acute infection can lead to an increase in morbidity, mortality, and economic costs for the healthcare system.

The main objective of our study was to determine the variables associated with a higher risk of acute infection after thoracolumbar instrumentation in our center.

Introduction

Neck of femur (NoF) fractures have an inherent 6.5% 30-day mortality as per National hip fracture database(2019). Several studies have demonstrated a higher mortality rate in covid positive NoFs but have been unable to demonstrate whether there are risk factors that contribute to the risk of mortality in this patient group or whether COVID is solely responsible for the higher mortality.

Recent studies have described safe outcomes for short-stays in the hospital after total shoulder arthroplasty. The purpose of this study is to identify pre-operative and operative risk factors for hospital admissions exceeding 24 hours.

The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS-NSQIP) database was queried from 2006 to 2016 for the current procedural terminology (CPT) billing code related to total shoulder arthroplasty. Patients were then grouped as either having a length of stay (LOS) equal to or less than 24 hours or greater than 24 hours. Patients admitted to the hospital prior to the day of surgery were excluded. Patient demographics, co-morbidities, and operative time were then analyzed as risk factors for a hospital stay exceeding 24 hours. Pre-operative co-morbidities included body mass index (BMI), diabetes, smoking, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), congestive heart failure (CHF), hypertension, dialysis, chronic steroid or immunosuppressant use, bleeding disorders, and American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) Classification. Univariate and multivariate analyses were then performed to identify risk factors associated with 30-day readmission.

14,339 patients met inclusion criteria and 6,507 (45.3%) had a hospital LOS less than or equal to 24 hours. The mean length of hospitalization was 1.95 ± 1.88 days, the average age was 69 ± 9.7 years old, and 56.9% of the patients were female. Following a risk adjusted multivariate analysis, increasing age (odds ratio [OR], 1.03, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.02–1.03), ASA classification (OR, 1.50, 95% CI, 1.41–1.60), diabetes (OR, 1.69, 95% CI, 1.43–1.99), COPD (OR, 1.35, 95% CI, 1.16–1.57), CHF (OR, 2.67, 95% CI, 1.34–5.33), dialysis (OR, 2.47, 95% CI, 1.28, 4.77), history of a bleeding disorder (OR, 1.50, 95% CI, 1.20–1.88), or increasing operative time (OR, 1.01, 95% CI, 1.01–1.01) were identified as independent risk factors for hospital lengths of stay exceeding 24 hours. Male gender was identified as a protective factor for prolonged hospitalization (OR, 0.50, 95% CI, 0.46–0.53).

This study identifies patient demographics, co-morbidities, and operative-relative risk factors that are associated with increased risk for a prolonged hospitalization following total shoulder arthroplasty. Female gender, increasing age, ASA classification, operative time, or a history of diabetes, COPD, CHF, or history of a bleeding disorder are risk factors hospitalizations exceeding 24 hours.

Background

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction with concomitant meniscal injury occurs frequently. Meniscal repair is associated with improved long-term outcomes compared to resection but is also associated with a higher reoperation rate. Knowledge of the risk factors for repair failure may be important in optimizing patient outcomes.

Aim

To describe the risk factors, microbiology and treatment outcome polymicrobial prosthetic joint infections (PJI) compared to monomicrobial PJI.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate risk factors for distal construct failure (DCF) in posterior spinal instrumented fusion (PSIF) in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS). We observed an increased rate of DCF when the pedicle screw in the lowest instrumented vertebra (LIV) was not parallel to the superior endplate of the LIV, however this has not been well studied in the literature. We hypothesise a more inferiorly angled LIV screw predisposes to failure and aim to find the critical angle that predisposes to failure.

A retrospective cohort study was performed on all patients who underwent PSIF for AIS at the Starship Hospital spine unit from 2010 to 2020. On a lateral radiograph, the angle between the superior endplate of the LIV was measured against its pedicle screw trajectory. Data on demographics, Cobb angle, Lenke classification, instrumentation density, rod protrusion from the most inferior screw, implants and reasons for revision were collected.

Of 256 patients, 10.9% (28) required at least one revision. The rate of DCF was 4.6% of all cases (12 of 260) and 25.7% of revisions were due to DCF. The mean trajectory angle of DCF patients compared to all others was 13.3° (95%CI 9.2° to 17.4°) vs 7.6° (7° to 8.2°), p=0.0002. The critical angle established is 11°, p=0.0076. Lenke 5 and C curves, lower preoperative Cobb angle, titanium only rod constructs and one surgeon had higher failure rates than their counterparts. 9.6% of rods protruding less than 3mm from its distal screw disengaged.

We conclude excessive inferior trajectory of the LIV screw increases the rate of DCF and a screw trajectory greater than 11° predisposes to failure. This is one factor that can be controlled by the surgeon intraoperatively and by avoiding malposition of the LIV screw, a quarter of revisions can potentially be eliminated.

Introduction

Excessive standing posterior pelvic tilt (PT), lumbar spine stiffness, low pelvic Incidence (PI), and severe sagittal spinal deformity (SSD) have been linked to increased dislocation rates. We aimed to compare the prevalence of these 4 parameters in unstable and stable primary Total Hip Arthroplasty (THA) patients.

Revision total knee arthroplasty (TKA) procedures performed secondary to periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) are associated with significant morbidity and mortality. These poor outcomes may be further complicated by the development of postoperative infection requiring aggressive antibiotic treatment. However, this antibiotic overuse may suppress patients' native bacterial flora, leading to Clostridium difficile infection (CDI). With the increased demand for primary TKAs and expected rise in revision TKA due to PJI, it is important to identify factors contributing to CDI. Therefore, we aimed to study the: 1) incidence, 2) demographics, length of stay (LOS), and total costs, and 3) risk factors and mortality associated with CDI in revision TKA patients.

The National Inpatient Sample database was queried for all individuals diagnosed with PJI and who underwent revision TKA between 2009 and 2013. Patients who developed CDI during their in-patient hospital stay were identified, yielding 83,806 patients (799 with CDI) with a mean age of 65 (S.D.=11.2). Logistic regression analysis was conducted to assess the association between hospital- and patient-specific characteristics and the development of CDI.

During the study period, the overall incidence of CDI after revision TKA was 1%. These patients were significantly older (mean age 69.05 vs. 65.52 yrs), had greater LOS (median 11 vs. 5 days), had greater costs ($30,612.93 vs. 18,873.75), and had higher in-hospital mortality (3.6 vs. 0.5%, p < 0 .001 for all) compared to those without infection. Patients with CDI were more likely to be treated in urban, not-for-profit, medium or large bed-sized hospitals located in the Northeast or Midwest (p < 0 .05 for all). Patients with underlying depression (OR 4.267, p=0.007) or fluid/electrolyte disorders (OR 3.48, p=0.001) were more likely to develop infection.

Although CDI is a rare event following revision TKA, it can have detrimental consequences. Our report demonstrates that CDI is associated with longer LOS, higher costs, and greater in-hospital mortality. With increased legislative pressure to lower healthcare expenditures, it is crucial to identify means of preventing costly complications.

Total hip arthroplasty (THA) is one of the most successful and effective treatments for advanced hip osteoarthritis (OA). Over the last 5 years, Canada has seen a 17.8% increase in the number of hip replacements performed annually, and that number is expected to grow along with the aging Canadian population. However, the rise in THA surgery is associated with an increased number of patients at risk for the development of an infection involving the joint prosthesis and adjacent deep tissue – periprosthetic joint infections (PJI). Despite improved hygiene protocols and novel surgical strategies, PJI remains a serious complication. No previous population-based studies has investigated PJI risk factors using a time-to-event approach and none have focused exclusively on patients undergoing THA for primary hip OA. The purpose of this study is to determine risk factors for PJI after primary THA for OA using a large population-based database collected over 15 years. Our secondary objective is to determine the incidence of PJI, the time to PJI following primary THA, and if PJI rates have changed in the past 15 years.

We performed a population-based cohort study using linked administrative databases in Ontario, Canada in accordance with RECORD and STROBE guidelines. All primary total hip replacements performed for osteoarthritis in patients aged 55 or older between January 1st 2002 – December 31st 2016 in Ontario, Canada were identified. Periprosthetic joint infection as the cause for revision surgery was identified with the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Edition (ICD-10), Clinical Modification diagnosis code T84.53 in any component of the healthcare data set.

Data were obtained from the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES).

Demographic data and outcomes are summarized using descriptive statistics. We used a Cox proportional hazards model to analyze the effect of surgical factors and patient factors on the risk of developing PJI. Surgical factors include the approach, use of bone graft, use of cement, and the year of surgery. Patient factors include sex, age at surgery, income quintile and rurality (community vs. urban). We compared the 1,2,5 and 10 year PJI rates for patients undergoing THA each year of our cohort with the Cochran-Armitage test. Less than 0.1% of data were missing from all fields except for rurality which was lacking 0.3% of data.

A total of 100,674 patients aged 55 or older received a primary total hip arthroplasty for osteoarthritis from 2002–2016. We identified 1034 cases of revision surgery for prosthetic joint infection for an overall PJI rate of 1.03%. When accounting for patients censored at final follow-up, the cumulative incidence for PJI is 1.44%. Our Cox proportional hazards model revealed that male sex, Type II diabetes mellitus, discharge to convalescent care, and having both hips replaced during one's lifetime were associated with increased risk of developing PJI following primary THA. Importantly, the time adjusted risk for PJI was equal for patients operated within the past 5 years, 6–10 years ago, or 11–15 years ago. The surgical approach, use of bone grafting or cement were not associated with increased risk of infection. PJI rates have not changed significantly over the past 15 years. One, two, five and ten-year PJI rates were similar for patients undergoing THA in all qualifying years.

Analysis of a population-based cohort of 100,674 patients has shown that the risk of developing PJI following primary THA has not changed over 15 years. The surgical approach, use of bone grafting or cement were not associated with increased risk of infection. Male sex, Type II diabetes Mellitus and discharge to a rehab facility are associated with increased risk of PJI. As the risk of PJI has not changed in 15 years, an appropriately powered trial is warranted to determine interventions that can improve infection rate after THA.