Albumin as a predictor of periprosthetic joint infection in patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty and total knee arthroplasty: a retrospective study

BACKGROUND: Nutritional assessment and diagnosis of the periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) following arthroplasty are critical for effective management of patients undergoing joint replacement surgery and their subsequent health outcomes. The present study aimed to investigate the potential relationship between postoperative nutritional status and inflammatory response in postoperative patients. METHODS: Albumin (ALB) serves as a key indicator for nutritional assessment. Peripheral blood levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rates (ESR), white blood cell (WBC), neutrophilic granulate percentage (NEU), D-Dimer, and ALB were measured in patients prior to surgery and for six consecutive days following total hip arthroplasty (THA) and total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Further analysis was conducted to explore the correlation between ALB and the aforementioned inflammatory indicators. RESULTS: The results demonstrated that ALB levels decreased significantly subsequent to both THA and TKA, indicating potential differences between the THA and TKA groups. Furthermore, ALB levels were closely associated with the progression of postoperative inflammation. CONCLUSIONS: Simultaneous detection of ALB and other inflammatory indicators can more accurately and sensitively reflect the inflammatory status and infection risk in patients following THA and TKA.