Infection Following Total Knee Arthroplasty

Epidemiological studies have reported risk factors for infection after TKA. According to Petty et al. 8) the risk factors for early infection are patient factors and operation technique. Patient factors include poor nutritional state, diabetes mellitus (DM), old age, obesity (body mass index>30) and prolonged hospital admission period. They also claimed previous operation history and traumatic events can also be applied risk factors 8) . Chun et al. 9) reported TKA can be a fine solution to osteoarthritis with DM. However, without great care after treatment, it will lead to an infection. Papavasiliou et al. 10) also insisted that steroid injection before operation can lead to infection after operation. Some kinds of inflammatory knee joint diseases can be a risk factor. Rheumatic arthritis (RA) is a serious factor for increasing the incidence of infection after TKA 11) . Poss et al. 7) also reported RA is the cause of delayed wound healing and poor immune system response. Thus, RA patients have 2.5 times higher rate of postoperative infection than osteoarthritis patients. Of chronic infection, Petty et al. 8) claimed periodontal abscess, infection on foot, urological infection and other periprosthetic septic arthritis or osteomyelitis were related to infection.