Abstract
Objective; Quality of life of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have been conclusively improved in decades, because of developments of biological agents and joint replacements therapies. But the problems of infection after joint replacements have been remained. Aim of this study was to clarify whether there are increases in infection rate after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) in patients with RA and whether uses of biologic agents (BA) or glucocorticoid (GC) associates with increased risk of infection after TKA.
Patients and Methods; Patients given primary TKA based cohort study have been carried. Three-hundred ninety four patients given TKA operation during Jan-2001 and Dec-2012 were included in this study. Statistical analysis was used to clarify relations of RA, BA, or GC with infection after TKA. Odds ratios of infection after TKA associated with BA, GC or ages were also calculated.
Results; The ratios of deep surgical site infection after TKA were 3.37% in RA patients and 1.39% in non-RA patients. There wasnʼt significant difference between two groups in infection ratio. Increased risk of infection was not observed associated with BA or GC. Odds ratio of infection after TKA associated with BA was 2.67 (95% confidential interval: CI; 0.50～14.45, p＝0.25), with GC was 5.11 (95%CI; 0.58～45.34, p＝0.143), and with age was 1.04 per year (95%CI; 0.94～1.13, p＝0.467)
Conclusion; It was appeared that RA didnʼt associate with increased risk of infection after TKA. BA or GC use didnʼt increase the ratio of infection after TKA for RA patients.
