Despite numerous studies focusing on periprosthetic joint infections (PJIs), there are no robust data on the risk factors and timing of metachronous infections. Metachronous PJIs are PJIs that can arise in the same or other artificial joints after a period of time, in patients who have previously had PJI. Between January 2010 and December 2018, 661 patients with multiple joint prostheses in situ were treated for PJI at our institution. Of these, 73 patients (11%) developed a metachronous PJI (periprosthetic infection in patients who have previously had PJI in another joint, after a lag period) after a mean time interval of 49.5 months (SD 30.24; 7 to 82.9). To identify patient-related risk factors for a metachronous PJI, the following parameters were analyzed: sex; age; BMI; and pre-existing comorbidity. Metachronous infections were divided into three groups: Group 1, metachronous infections in ipsilateral joints; Group 2, metachronous infections of the contralateral lower limb; and Group 3, metachronous infections of the lower and upper limb.Aims
Methods
Despite numerous studies on periprosthetic joint infections (PJI), there are no robust data on the risk factors and timing of metachronous infections. This study was performed to answer the following questions: 1) Is there any difference of manifestation time of metachronous PJIs between different localizations of multiple artificial joints? 2) Can we identify any specific risk factor for metachronous PJIs for different localizations of multiple artificial joints? Between January 2010 and December 2018, 661 patients with more than one prosthetic joint at the time of PJI surgical treatment were recruited. Seventy-one developed metachronous PJI after a mean time interval of 101.4 months (range 37.5 to 161.5 months). The remaining patients were chosen as control group. The diagnosis of the PJI, including the metachronous PJI, was made according to the Muscoloskeletal Infection Society (MSIS) criteria. The metachronous infections were divided in group 1: metachronous infections in the same extremity (e.g. right hip and right knee); group 2: metachronous infections of the other extremity (e.g. right knee and left hip); group 3: metachronous infections of the lower extremity and upper extremity (e.g. right knee and left shoulder).Aims
Methods
