The aim of our review was to assess (health related) quality of life ((HR)QoL) after one-stage or two-stage revision for prosthetic joint infection (PJI). Although it is generally accepted that staged revisions are very strenuous for patients, little is known about the (HR)QoL after these procedures. We compared (HR)QoL scores with normative population scores to assess the magnitude of this problem. Two authors performed a computerized systematic search in Embase, Cochrane and Pubmed. We included articles that reported: validated (HR)QoL questionnaires, one-stage or two-stage revision for PJI after total hip arthroplasty (THA), a minimum follow-up of 24 months and a minimum of ten patients. Methodological quality of all papers was assessed using the MINORS score. The systematic review was conducted according to the PRISMA statement. The search produced 11195 hits. After selection, based on title and abstract, 18 full text papers were reviewed. Six articles were excluded. Twelve papers were selected for final assessment. All papers described two-stage revisions. The mean MINORS score for these studies was 9.8, indicating moderate study quality. Seven articles reported WOMAC scores, with a total of 185 patients (74% response rate) having a mean general score of 73, with a mean follow-up of 65 months. The normative total WOMAC score for the general population (age 60–64) is 82.9, with a score of 100 being the best possible outcome. Four articles described Short Form 36 (SF-36) results on a total of 159 patients (71.9% response rate). In these studies the physical component score (PCS) of the SF-36 was on average 39.6 and the mental component score (MCS) was on average 50.9, with a mean follow-up of 41 months. Normative data for the US population (age 55–64) are a PCS of 47.2 and an MCS of 51.8. Four articles reported Short Form 12 (SF-12) scores on a total of 138 patients, with a mean PCS of 33.6 and a mean MCS of 51.7, with a mean follow up of 72.5 months. Normative data for the Dutch population (age 55–65) are a PCS of 48.3 and an MCS of 52.8. A score of 100 represents best possible health for both SF questionnaires. Patients that underwent two-stage revision for hip PJI have substantially lower (physical component) (HR)QoL scores, when compared to the general population.
