Aims. As our population ages, the number of octogenarians who will require a total hip arthroplasty (THA) rises. In a value-based system where operative outcomes are linked to hospital payments, it is necessary to assess the outcomes in this population. The purpose of this study was to compare outcomes of elective, primary THA in patients ≥ 80 years old to those aged < 80. Methods. A retrospective review of 10,251 consecutive THA cases from 2011 to 2019 was conducted. Patient-reported outcome (PRO) scores (Hip disability and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (HOOS)), as well as demographic, readmission, and complication data, were collected. Results. On average, the younger cohort (YC, n = 10,251) was a mean 61.60 years old (SD 10.71), while the older cohort (OC, n = 609) was 84.25 years old (SD 3.02) (p < 0.001). The OC had greater surgical risk based on their higher mean American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) scores (2.74 (SD 0.63) vs 2.30 (SD 0.63); p < 0.001) and Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) scores (6.26 (SD 1.71) vs 3.87 (SD 1.98); p < 0.001). While the OC stayed in the hospital longer than the YC (mean 3.5 vs 2.5 days; p < 0.001), there were no differences in 90-day emergency visits (p = 0.083), myocardial infarctions (p = 0.993), periprosthetic joint infections (p = 0.214), dislocations (p = 0.993), or aseptic failure (p = 0.993). The YC was more likely to be readmitted within 90 days (3.88% vs 2.18%, Β = 0.57; p = 0.048). There were no observed differences in 12-week (p = 0.518) or one-year (p = 0.511) HOOS scores. Conclusion. Although patients ≥ 80 years old have a greater number of comorbidities than younger patients, they had equivalent perioperative complication rates and PRO scores. This study demonstrates the safety and success of elective THA in octogenarians. Cite this article: Bone Jt Open 2021;2(7):535–539

Aims

The objectives of this study were to investigate the patient characteristics and mortality of Vancouver type B periprosthetic femoral fractures (PFF) subgroups divided into two groups according to femoral component stability and to compare postoperative clinical outcomes according to treatment in Vancouver type B2 and B3 fractures.

Highly crosslinked polyethylene (HXLPE) has been used with great clinical success in total hip arthroplasty (THA) since its debut in the late 1990's. However, reports regarding this bearing couple in its second decade of service are still scant. The aim of this study was to 1. Determine the long term clinical and radiological results and 2. Investigate what factors affect wear rates using a metal-on-HXLPE bearing articulation. 55 THA's using a single brand of HXLPE liner, cementless cup and 28mm hip ball were performed in 44 patients. Age, sex, and Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) and need for revision surgery were recorded. Linear and volumetric wear was determined using the Martell method. Mean age at operation was 51.2 (29–73 +/− 12.1) years. Mean duration of follow up was 16.9 years (range 15.0–20.1 +/− 1.1 years). Osteolysis was not present in the latest follow up radiographs. Median linear and volumetric wear rate was 0.035mm/year (95% CI 0.031–0.047) and 7.12mm. 3. /year (95% CI 6.92–17.25) respectively. Acetabular component position was not found to be related to both linear and volumetric wear. No significant difference was found in the linear and volumetric wear rates of thinner and thicker liners (8mm or below and > 8mm) (p=0.827 and p=0.843 respectively). HXLPE is associated with very low linear and volumetric wear rates which has virtually obviated osteolysis and has translated to excellent survivorship even at long term follow up. In-vivo oxidation does not appear to be of clinical concern at this point in its service cycle

Until today it is unknown whether preservation of the joint capsule positively affects patient reported outcome (PROs) in DAA-THA. A recent RCT found no clinical difference at 1 year. Since 2015 we preserve the capsule suture it at the end. We here evaluate whether this change had any effect on PROs and revisions, 2 years post-operatively. Two subsequent cohorts operated by the senior author were compared. The capsule was resected in the first cohort (January 2012 – December 2014) and preserved in the second cohort (July 2015 – December 2017). No other technical changes have been introduced between the two cohorts. Patient demographics, Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), and surgical data were collected from our clinical information system. 2-years PROs questionnaires (OHS, COMI Hip) were obtained. Data was analyzed with generalized multiple regression analysis. 430 and 450 patients were included in the resected and preserved cohorts, respectively. Demographics, CCI surgical time and length of stay were equal in both groups. Blood loss was less in the preserved cohort (p<.05). Four patients had a revision (1 vs 3, n.s.). Once corrected for demographics, capsule preservation had significant worse PROs: +0.24 COMI (p<.001) and −1.6 OHS points (p<.05), however, effects were much smaller than the minimal clinically important difference (0.95 and 5 respectively). The date of surgery (i.e. surgeon's age) was not a significant factor. In this large retrospective study, we observed statistically significant, but probably clinically not relevant, worse PROs with capsule preservation. It might be speculated that the not resected hypertrophied capsule could have caused this difference

Aims

This study aimed to evaluate the clinical application of the PJI-TNM classification for periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) by determining intraobserver and interobserver reliability. To facilitate its use in clinical practice, an educational app was subsequently developed and evaluated.

Aims

Two-stage exchange revision total hip arthroplasty (THA) performed in case of periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) has been considered for many years as being the gold standard for the treatment of chronic infection. However, over the past decade, there have been concerns about its safety and its effectiveness. The purposes of our study were to investigate our practice, collecting the overall spacer complications, and then to analyze their risk factors.

Aims

This study aimed to identify risk factors (patient, healthcare system, and socioeconomic) for mortality after hip fractures and estimate their relative importance. Further, we aimed to elucidate mortality and survival patterns following fractures and the duration of excess mortality.

Introduction. Ankle fractures in the elderly have been increasing with an ageing but active population and bring with them specific challenges. Medical co-morbidities, a poor soft tissue envelope and a requirement for early mobilisation to prevent morbidity and mortality, all create potential pitfalls to successful treatment. As a result, different techniques have been employed to try and improve outcomes. Total contact casting, both standard and enhanced open reduction internal fixation, external fixation and most recently tibiotalocalcaneal (TTC) nailing have all been proposed as suitable treatment modalities. Over the past five years popular literature has begun to herald TTC nailing as an appropriate and contemporary solution to the complex problem of high-risk ankle fragility fractures. We sought to assess whether, within our patient cohort, the outcomes seen supported the statement that TTC has equal outcomes to more traditional open reduction internal fixation (ORIF) when used to treat the high-risk ankle fragility fracture. Materials & Methods. Results of ORIF versus TTC nailing without joint preparation for treatment of fragility ankle fractures were evaluated via retrospective cohort study of 64 patients with high-risk fragility ankle fractures without our trauma centre. We aimed to assess whether results within our unit were equal to those seen within other published studies. Patients were matched 1:1 based on gender, age, Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) and ASA score. Patient demographics, AO/OTA fracture classification, intra-operative and post-operative complications, discharge destination, union rates, FADI scores and patient mobility were recorded. Results. There were 32 patients within each arm. Mean age was 78.4 (TTC) and 78.3 (ORIF). The CCI was 5.9 in each group respectively with mean ASA 2.9 (TTC) and 2.8 (ORIF). There were two open fractures within each group. Median follow up duration was 26 months. Time to theatre from injury was 8.0 days (TTC) versus 3.3 days (ORIF). There was no statistically significant difference in 30-day, one year or overall mortality at final follow up. Kaplan-Meier survivorship analysis did however demonstrate that of those patients who died post-operatively the mean time to mortality was significantly shorter in those treated with TTC nailing versus ORIF (20.3 months versus 38.2 months, p=0.013). There was no statistical difference in the overall complication rate between the two groups (46.9% versus 25%, p=0.12). The re-operation rate was twice as high in patients treated with TTC nailing however this was not statistically significant. There was no statistical difference in the FADI scores at final follow up, 72.1±12.9 (TTC) versus 67.9±13.9 (ORIF) nor post-operative mobility status. Conclusions. Within our study TTC nailing with an unprepared joint demonstrated broadly equivalent results to ORIF in the management of high-risk ankle fragility fractures; this replicates findings of previous studies. We did however observe that mean survival was significantly shorter in the TTC group than those treated with ORIF. We believe this may have been contributed to by a delay to theatre due to TTC stabilisation being treated as a sub-specialist operation in our unit at the time. We propose that both TTC and ORIF are satisfactory techniques to stabilise the frail ankle fracture however, similarly to the other fragility fractures, the priority should be on an emergent operation in a timely fashion in order to minimise the associated morbidity and mortality. Further randomised control studies are needed within the area to establish definitive results and a working consensus

Aims

This study aimed to evaluate whether an enhanced recovery protocol (ERP) for arthroplasty established during the COVID-19 pandemic at a safety net hospital can be associated with a decrease in hospital length of stay (LOS) and an increase in same-day discharges (SDDs) without increasing acute adverse events.

Introduction. In the United States, cementless femoral fixation remains the dominant mode of fixation for femoral neck fractures, despite strong worldwide registry data that supports cemented fixation. The reason for this discrepancy remains unknown, controversial and often difficult to compare due to multiple variables. The purpose of this study was to evaluate a matched cohort of patients undergoing arthroplasty for femoral neck fractures and assess outcomes of revisions, periprosthetic fractures and mortality. Methods. This is an exact matched cohort study. Cemented fixation cases were exact matched to cementless fixation cases in a 1:1 fashion based on age, sex and Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI). Outcome variables included: revision for periprosthetic fracture; all cause revision and mortality at any time point; all cause revision and mortality within 1-year and within 90-days. The primary independent variable was femoral fixation (cemented, cementless) and covariates included race (black, white, other), ethnicity (hispanic, non-hispanic), teaching status (minor, major, nonteaching) and bedsize (1–99, 100–399, >=400). Chi-square tests and multivariable logistic regression models were used for statistical analysis. Results. A total of 64,283 femoral neck fractures were evaluated. 17,138 cementless femoral stems were matched exactly to cemented femoral stems based on age, gender and Charleston comorbidity index (CCI). In the multivariate logistic regression analysis, compared to cementless femoral fixation, cemented fixation was associated with a 20% reduction in overall revision (OR 0.796, 0.675–0.939), a 30% reduction in revision at 1 year (OR: 0.709, 0.589–0.854) and a 86% reduction in revision for periprosthetic fracture (OR: 0.144, 0.07–0.294). However, cemented stem fixation was associated with a 23% (OR: 1.33, 1.134–1.338) and 16% (OR: 1.232, 1.134–1.338) increase in mortality at 90 days and 1 year post op respectively. Conclusions. In this exact matched cohort study, risk of early revision and revision for PPFx was dramatically reduced at all time points with the use of cemented stem fixation for elective THA and FNF. However, the increased risk of 90d and 1 year mortality following cemented stem fixation in the elective population warrants further investigation

Aims

Fungal periprosthetic joint infections (fPJIs) are rare complications, constituting only 1% of all PJIs. Neither a uniform definition for fPJI has been established, nor a standardized treatment regimen. Compared to bacterial PJI, there is little evidence for fPJI in the literature with divergent results. Hence, we implemented a novel treatment algorithm based on three-stage revision arthroplasty, with local and systemic antifungal therapy to optimize treatment for fPJI.

Aims

This study aimed to describe preoperative waiting times for surgery in hip fracture patients in Norway, and analyze factors affecting waiting time and potential negative consequences of prolonged waiting time.

Management of acetabular fractures in the elderly population remains somewhat controversial in regards to when to consider is open reduction internal fixation (ORIF) versus acute primary total hip. study aims to (1) describe outcome of this complex problem and investigate predictors of successful outcome. This retrospective study analyzes all acetabular fractures in patients over the age of 60, managed by ORIF at a tertiary trauma care centre between 2007 and 2018 with a minimum follow up of one year. Of the 117 patients reviewed, 85 patients undergoing ORIF for treatment of their acetabular fracture were included in the analysis. The remainder were excluded based management option including acute ORIF with THA (n=10), two-stage ORIF (n=2), external fixator only (n=1), acute THA (n=1), and conservative management (n=1). The remainder were excluded based on inaccessible medical records (n=6), mislabelled diagnosis (n=6), associated femoral injuries (n=4), acetabular fracture following hemiarthroplasty (n=1). The mean age of the cohort is 70±7 years old with 74% (n=62) of patients being male. Data collected included: demographics, mechanism of injury, Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), ASA Grade, smoking status and reoperations. Pre-Operative Radiographs were analyzed to determine the Judet and Letournel fracture pattern, presence of comminution and posterior wall marginal impaction. Postoperative radiographs were used to determine Matta Grade of Reduction. Outcome measures included morbidity-, mortality- rates, joint survival, radiographic evidence of osteoarthritis and patient reported outcome measures (PROMs) using the Oxford Hip Score (OHS) at follow-up. A poor outcome in ORIF was defined as one of the following: 1) conversion to THA or 2) the presence of radiographic OA, combined with an OHS less than 34 (findings consistent with a hip that would benefit from a hip replacement). The data was analyzed step-wise to create a regression model predictive of outcome following ORIF. Following ORIF, 31% (n=26) of the cohort had anatomic reduction, while 64% (n=54) had imperfect or poor reduction. 4 patients did not have adequate postoperative radiographs to assess the reduction. 31 of 84 patients undergoing ORIF had a complication of which 22.6% (n=19) required reoperation. The most common reason being conversion to THA (n=14), which occurred an average of 1.6±1.9 years post-ORIF. The remainder required reoperation for infection (n=5). Including those converted to THA, 43% (n=36) developed radiographic OA following acetabular fracture management. The mean OHS in patients undergoing ORIF was 36 ± 10; 13(16%) had an OHS less than 34. The results of the logistic regression demonstrate that Matta grade of reduction (p=0.017), to be predictive of a poor outcome in acetabular fracture management. With non-anatomic alignment following fixation, patients had a 3 times greater risk of a poor outcome. No other variables were found to be predictive of ORIF outcome. The ability to achieve anatomic reduction of fracture fragments as determined by the Matta grade, is predictive of the ability to retain the native hip with acceptable outcome following acetabular fracture in the elderly. Further research must be conducted to determine predictors of adequate reduction in order to identify candidates for ORIF

Introduction. As total knee arthroplasty incidence in the United States continues to increase, health care entities are looking to reform policy to decrease costs while improving efficiency and quality of care. The allocation of hospital and surgeon charges and payments is an important aspect of health care economics, but the trends and relationship between surgeon and hospital charges and payments for knee arthroplasty have not been well examined. The goal of this study is to report trends and variation in hospital charges and payments compared to surgeon charges and payments for total knee arthroplasty in a Medicare population. Methods. The 5% Medicare sample was used to capture hospital and surgeon charges and payments for total knee arthroplasty from 2005–2014. Two important values were calculated: (1) the charge multiplier (CM) which is the ratio of hospital to surgeon charges, and (2) the payment multiplier (PM), which is the ratio of hospital to surgeon payments. The year to year variation and regional trends in patient demographics, Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), length of stay (LOS), CM and PM were evaluated for all patients. Statistical significance of trends was evaluated using student's t-tests. Correlations between the financial multipliers and LOS were evaluated using a Pearson correlation coefficient (r). Results. 117,698 patients were included. Hospital charges were significantly higher than surgeon charges throughout the study period and increased substantially (CM increased from 7.9 to 11.4, p <0.0001) [Fig 1,2]. Hospital payments relative to surgeon payments ratio (PM) followed a similar trend, increasing from 10.0 to 14.6 (p < 0.0001). [Fig 1,2]. Similar trends were noted in all four regions of the US. LOS decreased significantly throughout the study from 3.8 to 2.8 days (p < 0.0001). CCI remained stable over the study period. Both the CM (r2 = −0.90) and PM (r2 = −0.84) were strongly negatively associated with LOS, meaning that as LOS decreased, the ratio of hospital to surgeon charges and payments (CM and PM) paradoxically significantly increased [Fig 3]. Conclusions. Hospital charges and payments relative to surgeon charges and payments have significantly increased for total knee arthroplasty despite stable patient complexity as measured by CCI and decreasing LOS. These results encourage the need for future studies with detailed cost analysis to identify the causes of hospital and surgeon financial malalignment. As healthcare shifts toward value-based care with shared responsibility for outcomes and cost, more closely aligned incentives between hospitals and providers is needed. For figures, tables, or references, please contact authors directly

Introduction. The global rapid growth of the aging population has some likelihood to create a serious crisis on health-care and economy at an unprecedented pace. To extend Healthy Life Expectancy (HALE) in a number of countries, it is desired more than ever to investigate characteristic and prognosis of numerous diseases. This enlightenment and recent studies on patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) will drive the increasing interest in the quality of life among the world. The demand for primary THAs by 2030 would rise up to 174% in USA. It is expected that the number of the elderly will surge significantly in the future, thus more septuagenarian and octogenarian are undergoing THA. Moreover, HALE of Japanese female near the age of 75 years, followed to Singapore, is still increasing. Therefore, concerns exist about the PROMs of performing THA in this age-group worldwide. Nevertheless almost the well-established procedure, little agreement has been reached to the elderly. We aimed to clarify the mid-term PROMs after THA over 75-year old. Methods. Between 2005 and 2013, we performed 720 consecutive primary cemented THAs through a direct lateral approach. Of these, 503 female patients (655 hips) underwent THA for treatment of osteoarthritis, with a minimum follow-up of 5 years, were retrospectively enrolled into the study. We excluded 191 patients (252 hips) aged less than 65-year at the time of surgery and 58 patients (60) because of post-traumatic arthritis or previous surgery (37), or lack of data (23). Thus, 343 hips remained eligible for our study, contributed by 254 patients. We investigated Quality-adjusted life year (QALY), EuroQol 5-Dimension 5-Level scale (EQ-5D) and the Japanese Orthopaedic Association Hip-Disease Evaluation Questionnaire (JHEQ, which was a disease-specific and self-administered questionnaire, reflecting the specificity of the Japanese cultural lifestyle) in patients aged 75 years or older (154 hips, Group-E) compared with those aged 65 to 74 years (189 hips, Group-C) retrospectively. We evaluated the association between patients aged 75 years or older and the following potential risk factors, using logistic regression analysis: age, number of vertebral fractures (VFs), American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status (ASA-PS) and Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI). A p value of < 0.05 was considered significant for the Mann-Whitney U test. Results. At a mean follow-up duration of 7.2 years, QALY, EQ-5D and JHEQ for the domain of patient satisfaction were significantly greater for Group-E than Group-C; however, there were no significant differences in JHEQ for pain, movement and mental-health between groups. On multivariate analysis, the age (odds ratio [OR] 2.48, p < .01 for EQ-5D; OR .32, p < .01 for JHEQ satisfaction), VFs (OR 1.63, p < .01 for satisfaction) and ASA-PS (OR .64, p = .31 for EQ-5D) were independent predictive risk factors for patients aged 75-year or older. Conclusions. Based on mid-term follow-up of PROMs study, we suggest that cemented THA can lead to the extension of HALE towards the super aged society and our results can be applied to a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study related frailty

Aim. Surgical site infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) are associated with considerable clinical and economic burden. Studies assessing this burden in Germany have been limited to specific institutions, selected patient groups or not specific to S. aureus infections (SAI). This study was undertaken to further understand the burden of SAI following orthopedic surgeries in Germany. Method. All patients with at least one spine, endoprosthetic hip or knee surgery between 2012 and 2015 captured in the AOK PLUS claims database were included in this analysis. SAI were identified using S. aureus-specific ICD-10 codes following surgery. Exclusion criteria included: younger than 18, SAI in the 90 days preceding index, any surgery in the 180 days preceding index, surgery at the same body location as index in the preceding 365 days, or more than one surgery of interest during index hospitalization. Cumulative incidence and incidence density were used to assess SAI. Mortality, healthcare resource utilization and costs were compared between SAI and non-SAI group during the 1year follow-up post index surgery. Multivariate analyses were conducted while controlling for sex, age, Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), location of surgery, length of index hospitalization, recent fractures, other bacterial infections during index hospitalization and outpatient prescriptions for antibiotics in the year pre-index. Results. In total, 74,327 patients were included who underwent a knee (21,285), hip (29,429), or spine surgery (23,613). Mean age was 69.6 years, 61.6% were female and the mean CCI was 2.3. The SAI incidence post-orthopedic surgery was 20.2 cases per 1,000 patient-years within 1 year of index hospitalization; the cumulative incidence was 1.9%. Knee surgeries were associated with lower SAI risk compared to hip surgeries (HR=0.8; p=0.024), whereas spine surgeries did not differ significantly. Compared to non-SAI group, the SAI group had on average 4.4 times the number of hospitalizations (3.1 vs. 0.7) and 7.7 times the number of hospital days (53.5 vs. 6.9), excluding the index hospitalization (p-values<0.001). One year post-orthopedic mortality was 22.38% in the SAI and 5.31% in the non-SAI group (p<0.001). The total medical costs were significantly different between SAI and non-SAI groups (42,834€ vs. 13,781€; p<0.001). Adjusting for confounders, the SAI group had nearly 2 times the all-cause direct healthcare costs (exp(b)=1.9; p<0.001); and 2.5 times the risk of death (OR=2.5; p<0.001) compared to the non-SAI group. Conclusions. S. aureus infection risk after orthopedic surgeries persists and is associated with significant economic burden and risk of mortality

Introduction. Given the increasing prevalence of hip and knee arthroplasties performed, measures have been implemented to standardize care and effectively improve patient outcomes and decrease costs. Length of stay (LOS) directly affects costs. The purpose of this study was to identify peri-operative and patient related factors that correlated with decreased or increased LOS. Methods & Materials. A retrospective chart review was conducted of 289 consecutive primary total knee (TKA) and total hip (THA) arthroplasties. Comorbidities indicated by the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), smoking and drinking status, age and BMI were recorded. Intraoperative and post-operative records were reviewed for American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) Score, anesthetic type, regional nerve blocks, and blood transfusions. The TKA cohort consisted of 57 males and 86 females, while the THA cohort consisted of 73 males and 73 females. Results. In the TKA group, the CCI was lowest in patients with LOS of 2 days and trended higher both in mean and maximum as LOS increased. In the THA group, the CCI was lower in patients with LOS of 1 or 2 days both in mean and maximum compared to patients with LOS of 3 or 4 days. Overall, patients with LOS of 3 or 4 days had a higher rate of blood transfusions compared to patients with LOS of 1 or 2 days (Table 1). There were no other notable trends. Discussion. Decreasing the LOS has shown to increase quality of life and reduce costs. Patient comorbidities as well as perioperative outcomes will impact LOS. Identifying these factors prior to or immediately after surgery may allow for more efficient triage of patients and utilization of hospital resources

Infection following primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is fortunately a relatively uncommon complication with an incidence of approximately 1%. However, because the morbidity and cost of treatment of deep prosthetic TKA infections is so high, effective prevention strategies are key quality improvement initiatives. The cause of post-operative infections are multifactorial and complex but can generally be categorised into 1) host, 2) surgical, and 3) environmental factors. The purpose of this abstract to provide an outline of these factors and their influences on the infection risk following TKA. Patient factors and optimization of modifiable risk factors have been shown to decrease the risk for infection. While the individual contributions of factors such as body mass index (BMI), diabetes, nutritional status, Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), and renal disease are unknown, together, they have been shown to influence infection risk. Additionally, Tayton et al. analyzed 64,566 primary TKAs in the New Zealand Joint Registry and found that male gender and prior knee surgery were also independent risk factors of development of PJI 12 months following TKA. Finally, Crowe and colleagues also identified tobacco use and Staphylococcus aureus colonization as modifiable risk factors for minimizing PJI following primary TKA. Timely administration of prophylactic antibiotics prior and after surgery has been shown to be the most effective strategy to reduce infection risk. The optimal prophylaxis regimen for all patients is unknown and in certain situations, administration of Vancomycin in additional to a conventional cephalosporin may be beneficial. However, universal administration of Vancomycin has not been shown to decrease the incidence of surgical site infections and could actually increase the risk for renal failure. Conversely, addition of antibiotics to cement during primary TKA has not been shown to reduce long term infection risk. The use of dilute betadine lavage has been shown by some authors to be beneficial. Finally, good surgical technique, proper soft tissue handling, and meticulous wound closure are all critical factors influencing the risk for infectious complications following TKA. Environmental factors have also been shown to affect infection rates following TKA. While the use of laminar flow and body exhaust suits have not been shown to significantly influence the risk for infection, minimizing operating room traffic has been shown effective in reducing the risk for contamination. Some authors have shown ultraviolet light systems to decrease airborne contaminants. In summary, factors influencing infection risk following TKA are complex and multifactorial. Patient selection, optimization of modifiable risk factors, appropriate use of antibiotics, and minimization of OR traffic are among the most common strategies to minimizing infection

Infection following primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is fortunately a relatively uncommon complication with an incidence of approximately 1%. However, because the morbidity and cost of treatment of deep prosthetic TKA infections is so high, effective prevention strategies are key quality improvement initiatives. The cause of post-operative infections are multifactorial and complex but can generally be categorised into 1) host, 2) surgical, and 3) environmental factors. The purpose of this abstract is to provide an outline of these factors and their influences on the infection risk following TKA. Patient factors and optimization of modifiable risk factors have been shown to decrease the risk for infection. While the individual contributions of factors such as body mass index (BMI), diabetes, nutritional status, Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), and renal disease are unknown, together, they have been shown to influence infection risk. Additionally, Tayton et al. analyzed 64,566 primary TKAs in the New Zealand Joint Registry and found that male gender and prior knee surgery were also independent risk factors of development of PJI 12 months following TKA. Finally, Crowe and colleagues also identified tobacco use and Staphylococcus aureus colonization as modifiable risk factors for minimizing PJI following primary TKA. Timely administration of prophylactic antibiotics prior and after surgery has been shown to be the most effective strategy to reduce infection risk. The optimal prophylaxis regimen for all patients is unknown and in certain situations, administration of Vancomycin in additional to a conventional cephalosporin may be beneficial. However, universal administration of Vancomycin has not been shown to decrease the incidence of surgical site infections and could actually increase the risk for renal failure. Conversely, addition of antibiotics to cement during primary TKA has not been shown to reduce long term infection risk. The use of dilute betadine lavage has been shown by some authors to be beneficial. Finally, good surgical technique, proper soft tissue handling, and meticulous wound closure are all critical factors influencing the risk for infectious complications following TKA. Environmental factors have also been shown to affect infection rates following TKA. While the use of laminar flow and body exhaust suits have not been shown to significantly influence the risk for infection, minimizing operating room traffic has been shown effective in reducing the risk for contamination. Some authors have shown ultraviolet light systems to decrease airborne contaminants. In summary, factors influencing infection risk following TKA are complex and multifactorial. Patient selection, optimization of modifiable risk factors, appropriate use of antibiotics, and minimization of OR traffic are among the most common strategies to minimizing infection