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Infection After Primary Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Randomized Controlled Prospective Study of the Addition of Antibiotics to Bone Cement* * Study developed at the Instituto Nacional de Traumatologia e Ortopedia (INTO), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.

Abstract

Objective

The present prospective, randomized and controlled study was conducted with 286 patients submitted to primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA) with the objective of evaluating the efficacy of the addition of antibiotics to bone cement as a way to prevent post arthroplasty infection (PAI).

Methods

The patients were randomized into two groups: bone cement without antibiotic (No ATB, n = 158) or cement with antibiotic (ATB, n = 128), in which 2 g of vancomycin was added to 40 g of cement. The patients were followed up for 24 months after surgery.

Results

Regarding preoperative demographic data, the distribution of patients between groups was homogeneous (p < 0.05). In the 24-month period, the overall infection rate was of 2.09% (6/286), with no difference (odds ratio [OR] = 1.636; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.294−9.080; p = 0.694) between the ATB group (1.56%; 2/128) and the No ATB group (2.53%; 4/158). In the No ATB group, the infection was caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) (n = 2), methicillin-sensitive S. aureus (MSSA) (n = 1) and Eschirichia coli (n = 1). Proteus mirabilis and MSSA were isolated from patients in the ATB group. Among the comorbidities, all patients with PAI were hypertensive and nondiabetic. Two rheumatoid arthritis patients who developed PAI were from the ATB group.

Conclusion

The use of cement with ATB reduced the absolute number of infections, but without statistical difference between the groups; thus, routine use should not be encouraged.

Keywords
antibiotic; arthroplasty, replacement, knee; bone cements; prosthesis-related infections

Resumo

Objetivo

O presente estudo prospectivo, randomizado e controlado foi realizado com 286 pacientes submetidos à artroplastia total primária do joelho (ATJ) com o objetivo de avaliar a eficácia da adição de antibiótico ao cimento ósseo como forma de prevenção da infecção pós-artroplastia (IPA).

Métodos

Os pacientes foram randomizados em dois grupos: cimento ósseo sem antibiótico (Sem ATB, n = 158) ou cimento com antibiótico (Com ATB, n = 128), ao qual foram adicionados 2g de Vancomicina para 40 g de cimento. Os pacientes foram acompanhados por 24 meses após a cirurgia.

Resultados

No que diz respeito aos dados demográficos pré-operatórios, a distribuição dos pacientes entre os grupos foi homogênea (p < 0,05). No período de 24 meses, a taxa global de infecção foi de 2,09% (6/286), não havendo diferença (odds ratio [OR] = 1,636; intervalo de confiança [IC] 95%: 0,294−9,080; p = 0,694) entre o grupo Com ATB (1,56%; 2/128) e Sem ATB (2,53%; 4/158). No grupo Sem ATB, a infecção foi causada por Staphylococcus aureus resistente à meticilina (MRSA, na sigla em inglês) (n = 2), S. aureus sensível à meticilina (MSSA, na sigla em inglês) (n = 1) e Eschirichia coli (n = 1). Proteus mirabilis e MSSA foram isolados dos pacientes do grupo Com ATB. Dentre as comorbidades, todos os pacientes com IPA eram hipertensos e não diabéticos. Dois pacientes com artrite reumatoide que desenvolveram IPA eram do grupo Com ATB.

Conclusão

O uso de cimento com ATB reduziu o número absoluto de infecções; porém, sem diferença estatística entre os grupos. Desta forma, o uso rotineiro não deve ser encorajado.

Objective

The present prospective, randomized and controlled study was conducted with 286 patients submitted to primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA) with the objective of evaluating the efficacy of the addition of antibiotics to bone cement as a way to prevent post arthroplasty infection (PAI).

Methods

The patients were randomized into two groups: bone cement without antibiotic (No ATB, n = 158) or cement with antibiotic (ATB, n = 128), in which 2 g of vancomycin was added to 40 g of cement. The patients were followed up for 24 months after surgery.

Results

Regarding preoperative demographic data, the distribution of patients between groups was homogeneous (p < 0.05). In the 24-month period, the overall infection rate was of 2.09% (6/286), with no difference (odds ratio [OR] = 1.636; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.294-9.080; p = 0.694) between the ATB group (1.56%; 2/128) and the No ATB group (2.53%; 4/158). In the No ATB group, the infection was caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) (n = 2), methicillin-sensitive S. aureus (MSSA) (n = 1) and Eschirichia coli (n = 1). Proteus mirabilis and MSSA were isolated from patients in the ATB group. Among the comorbidities, all patients with PAI were hypertensive and nondiabetic. Two rheumatoid arthritis patients who developed PAI were from the ATB group.

Conclusion

The use of cement with ATB reduced the absolute number of infections, but without statistical difference between the groups; thus, routine use should not be encouraged.

Palavras-chave
artroplastia do joelho; cimentos ósseos; infecções relacionadas à prótese

Introduction

Deep infection after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is one of the most devastating complications and it generates great frustration for both the patient and the surgeon. Its incidence varies between 0.5 and 2%,11 Laffer RR, Graber P, Ochsner PE, Zimmerli W. Outcome of prosthetic knee-associated infection: evaluation of 40 consecutive episodes at a single centre. Clin Microbiol Infect 2006;12(05): 433-439,22 Daines BK, Dennis DA, Amann S. Infection prevention in total knee arthroplasty. J Am Acad Orthop Surg 2015;23(06):356–364 but it is the most common etiology (20.4%) in the TKA revisions in the United States.33 Delanois RE, Mistry JB, Gwam CU, Mohamed NS, Choksi US, Mont MA. Current Epidemiology of Revision Total Knee Arthroplasty in the United States. J Arthroplasty 2017;32(09):2663–2668 Data from a Brazilian center show that infection is responsible for 49% of early failures and for 25% of late failures.44 Cobra H. Causas de falha de artroplastia total de joelho. Rev INTO. 2009;7(04):11–18

Despite their relatively low incidence, post-arthroplasty infections (PAIs) and their treatment have great economic impact. The cost of a single treatment can range from US$ 30,000 to US$ 50,000; and treating serious infections caused by resistant microorganisms can cost up to US$ 100,000.55 Qadir R, Sidhu S, Ochsner JL, Meyer MS, Chimento GF. Risk stratified usage of antibiotic-loaded bone cement for primary total knee arthroplasty: short term infection outcomes with a standardized cement protocol. J Arthroplasty 2014;29(08):1622–1624 The cost of treating a periprosthetic infection in the Brazilian public system is estimated at ~ BRL 55,000 (~ US$ 14,000).66 Frazão VL, Miyahara HS, Kirihara RA, Lima ALLM, Croci AT, Vicente JRN. Social profile and cost analysis of deep infection following total hip replacement surgery. Rev Bras Ortop 2017;52(06): 720–724

As a measure to prevent infection in TKA, the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS) recommends systemic antimicrobial prophylaxis 1 hour before surgical incision. However, the drug does not readily reach the implant-tissue interface. Thus, local administration of systemic antibiotics is recommended by some authors to provide higher in situ antibiotic concentrations, with lower risk of systemic toxicity.77 Abdelaziz H, von Förster G, Kühn KD, Gehrke T, Citak M. Minimum 5 years’ follow-up after gentamicin- and clindamycin-loaded PMMA cement in total joint arthroplasty. J Med Microbiol 2019;68(03):475–479

The manual mixing of the antibiotic powder with bone cement during surgery or the commercially available premixed product are the most commonly used methods for local antibiotic intake.88 Hansen EN, Adeli B, Kenyon R, Parvizi J. Routine use of antibiotic laden bone cement for primary total knee arthroplasty: impact on infecting microbial patterns and resistance profiles. J Arthroplasty 2014;29(06):1123–1127 Alternatively, other authors suggest the application of antibiotic powder directly to the surgical wound, the so-called intrawound antimicrobial prophylaxis. However, there is still no consensus in the literature regarding the effectiveness of these methods, and more evidence with prospective studies is necessary.99 Fleischman AN, Austin MS. Local Intra-wound Administration of Powdered Antibiotics in Orthopaedic Surgery. J Bone Jt Infect 2017;2(01):23–281111 Chen AF, Fleischman A, Austin MS. Use of Intrawound Antibiotics in Orthopaedic Surgery. J Am Acad Orthop Surg 2018;26(17): e371-e378

From the clinical point of view, the use of antibiotic-impregnated cement reduced septic and aseptic failure rates in TKA.88 Hansen EN, Adeli B, Kenyon R, Parvizi J. Routine use of antibiotic laden bone cement for primary total knee arthroplasty: impact on infecting microbial patterns and resistance profiles. J Arthroplasty 2014;29(06):1123–1127,1010 Chiu FY, Chen CM, Lin CF, Lo WH. Cefuroxime-impregnated cement in primary total knee arthroplasty: a prospective, randomized study of three hundred and forty knees. J Bone Joint Surg Am 2002;84(05):759–762,1212 McLaren AC, Nugent M, Economopoulos K, Kaul H, Vernon BL, McLemore R. Hand-mixed and premixed antibiotic-loaded bone cement have similar homogeneity. Clin Orthop Relat Res 2009; 467(07):1693–1698 With a 60.6% reduction in the occurrence of infections and savings of EU801,00 per patient, its costbenefit was considered favorable.1313 Sanz-Ruiz P, Matas-Diez JA, Sanchez-Somolinos M, Villanueva-Martinez M, Vaquero-Martín J. Is the Commercial Antibiotic-Loaded Bone Cement Useful in Prophylaxis and Cost Saving After Knee and Hip Joint Arthroplasty? The Transatlantic Paradox. J Arthroplasty 2017;32(04):1095–1099 Conversely, a systematic review with > 34,000 patients undergoing TKA showed that the use of antibiotics did not reduce the prevalence of PAI and may be an unnecessary cost to the health system.1414 King JD, Hamilton DH, Jacobs CA, Duncan ST. The Hidden Cost of Commercial Antibiotic-Loaded Bone Cement: A Systematic Review of Clinical Results and Cost Implications Following Total Knee Arthroplasty. J Arthroplasty 2018;33(12):3789–3792 Given the controversial evidence, we investigated the efficacy of adding antibiotics to bone cement in primary TKA as a way to prevent deep infection.

Material and Methods

Selection criteria

The present study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee (CAAE 0036.0.305.00−10). All volunteers consented in writing before being included in the study. Patients with primary and secondary osteoarthritis (OA) with indication for TKAwere included. There was no age limit and no restriction on gender. The exclusion criteria were patients submitted to unicompartmental knee arthroplasty, revision arthroplasty or any previous joint surgery, and patients with evidence of joint infection or congenital or acquired coagulopathies, as well as a previous history of allergy to vancomycin.

Study groups

All patients (n = 286) submitted to TKA between July, 2010 and December, 2013 were prospectively recruited. The patients were submitted to primary TKA with Press Fit Condylar Sigma prosthesis (DePuy-Synthes, West Chester, PA, USA) and randomized according to the use of antibiotics in bone cement. In 158 patients, called the No ATB group, conventional bone cement (DePuy-Synthes) was used, and in 128 patients, 2g of vancomycin was added to every 40 g of bone cement, and they were called the ATB group. Patients with medical records with an uneven ID number were allocated to the No ATB group, and patients with an even medical records ID number were allocated to the ATB group.

Surgical technique

All patients were submitted to spinal anesthesia and peripheral block of the sciatic and femoral nerves with the aid of electrostimulation. The procedures were performed with or without ischemia, with pneumatic tourniquet of inflated thigh with a pressure of 300 mmHg. The cement/antibiotic mixture was prepared according to McLaren et al.1212 McLaren AC, Nugent M, Economopoulos K, Kaul H, Vernon BL, McLemore R. Hand-mixed and premixed antibiotic-loaded bone cement have similar homogeneity. Clin Orthop Relat Res 2009; 467(07):1693–1698 by the main surgeon during the surgical procedure (►Supplementary Figure S1). A single 4.8 mm drain (Hemovac, Zimmer) was maintained in all patients for 24 hours. All surgeries were performed in a single institution by two surgeons who were members of the Brazilian Society of Orthopedics and Traumatology and of the Brazilian Knee Society (Cobra H. A. A. B. and Mozella A. P.).

Postoperative care

All patients received 2 g of intravenous cefazolin supplemented with 2 additional doses of 1g every 8 hours. The prevention of thromboembolic events was performed with a single daily dose of 40 mg subcutaneous low molecular weight heparin (Clexane, Sanofi Aventis, Paris, France) started 12 hours after the end of surgery and maintained for 10 days.

Diagnosis of infection

The diagnosis of infection was based on the criteria defined by Parvizi et al.,1515 Parvizi J, Zmistowski B, Berbari EF, et al. New definition for periprosthetic joint infection: from the Workgroup of the Musculoskeletal Infection Society. Clin Orthop Relat Res 2011;469 (11):2992–2994,1616 Parvizi J, Della Valle CJ. AAOS Clinical Practice Guideline: diagnosis and treatment of periprosthetic joint infections of the hip and knee. J Am Acad Orthop Surg 2010;18(12):771–772 considering the clinical findings, the increase in C-reactive protein levels, an increase in the speed of hemosedimentation, and positive microbiological culture of tissue fragments obtained in the intraoperative period. The presence of flushing, erythema and pain associated or not with fever were considered positive clinical signs of infection. Once the patient underwent the first stage of the revision surgery, three femur fragments, three tibia and soft tissue fragments for microbiological culture were collected. The diagnosis of infection was established when bacterial growth of the same microorganism occurred in at least two samples.

Follow-up

The patients were evaluated at 15 days, and at 2, 6, 12 and 24 months after surgery at the outpatient clinic of the institution. The occurrence of postoperative complications, such as time and presence of superficial or deep infection, skin necrosis, deep vein thrombosis, acute myocardial infarction, and symptomatic allergic reactions were investigated.

Statistical analysis

The distribution analysis of the numerical data was performed by the Shapiro-Wilk test. The Student and Mann-Whitney t-tests were applied to the variables with normal and non-normal distribution, respectively. The significance of 5% was adopted. Categorical data were analyzed by the Fisher chi-squared or exact test. GraphPad Prism version 7.00 for Windows (GraphPad Software, San Diego, CA, USA) was used.

Results

Characteristics of the patients

Preoperative data were analyzed to verify the randomization of individuals in the treatment groups. The study groups were homogeneously distributed without differences in gender (p = 0.221), American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score (p = 0.348), age (68 versus 66 years old; p = 0.429), body mass index (BMI) (30.4 versus 29.3; p = 0.579), plasma globulin levels (2.8 versus 2.7; p = 0.566), plasma albumin levels (3.5 versus 3.3; p = 0.555), duration of surgery (90 versus 85 minutes; p = 0.087), for the groups with and without ATB, respectively (►Tables 1 and 2).

From the 286 patients undergoing TKA, 212 (70.6%) had primary OA, 101 (78.9%) in the ATB group and 111 (70.2%) in the No ATB group. Osteoarthritis secondary to rheumatoid arthritis was the diagnosis in 25 (19.5%) patients in the ATB group and in 24 (15.2%) patients in the No ATB group. Two patients in the ATB group developed OA secondary to osteonecrosis, and two other patients in the No ATB group developed OA secondary to trauma. Regarding the presence of comorbidities, 3 patients in the No ATB group had diabetes mellitus (DM), 94 had systemic arterial hypertension (SAH), and 32 had the association of the 2 comorbidities. In the ATB group, 3 were diabetic, 74 were hypertensive, and 23 had the association between DM and SAH. There was no difference between the groups for the presence of DM (p = 0.706), SAH (p = 0.474) or both conditions in association (p = 0.654). Serum albumin < 3.5g/dL levels were observed in 96 of the 286 patients. The diagnostic prevalence and distribution of comorbidities were similar between the groups (► Table 2).

Table 1
Numerical clinical data of patients submitted to total primary knee arthroplasty with Press Fit Condylar Sigma prosthesis (DePuy-Synthes, West Chester, PA, USA)
Table 2
Categorical clinical data of patients undergoing total primary knee arthroplasty with Press Fit Condylar Sigma prosthesis (DePuy-Synthes, West Chester, PA, USA)

Post knee arthroplasty infection in patients who used cement with or without antibiotics

In the 24 months of follow-up, the percentage of infection was 2.09% (6/286), with no difference (odds ratio [OR] = 1.636; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.294-9.080; p = 0.694) between the ATB group (1.56%; 2/128) and the No ATB group (2.53%; 4/158) (►Figure 1). The mean time between surgery and diagnosis of infection was 250 days (27-158 days). One patient developed infection within 915 days. Exceptionally, this patient was not excluded from the study, because he was from another state and was in the out-of-home (OOH) treatment program of the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS, in the Portuguese acronym), which led to his delay in returning. Patients who evolved with PAI underwent revision surgery. The mean length of hospital stay after the review was 46.6 days (16\–90 days).

Among the six patients who developed infection, all were hypertensive, and none were diabetic and/or obese. In the ATB group, 2 of the 25 patients with OA secondary to RA

Fig. 1
Infection after knee arthroplasty in patients undergoing total primary knee arthroplasty with Press Fit Condylar Sigma prosthesis (DePuy-Synthes, West Chester, PA, USA). The patients were randomized into 2 groups: bone cement without antibiotics (No ATB, n = 158) or cement with antibiotic (ATB, n = 128), in which 2 g of vancomycin was added to 40g of cement.
developed infection. In the No ATB group, among the four infected patients, none of them had AR. One patient in each group had serum albumin levels < 3.5 g/dL.

In the No ATB group, the infection was caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) (n = 2), methicillinsensitive S. aureus (MSSA) (n = 1) and Escherichia coli (n = 1). In the ATB group, MSSA was isolated in one of the patients, and Proteus mirabilis in the other. The earliest infection was detected 27 days after TKA, and the later, in 915 days (OOH patient), both caused by MRSA (►Table 3).

No local or systemic allergic reactions or adverse events have been reported.

Discussion

The results of the present prospective randomized study with 286 patients submitted to primary TKA with and without the addition of antibiotics to bone cement showed that the use of bone cement impregnated with vancomycin reduced the absolute number of deep infections, but without statistical significance. The use of the antibiotic was also not related to the occurrence of adverse reactions.

Table 3
Profile of infection after total knee arthroplasty with bone cement without antibiotic (No ATB, n = 158) or with bone cement plus antibiotic (ATB, n = 128), in which 2 g of vancomycin was added to 40 g of cement

In our study, the overall infection rate was similar to the infection rate reported in the literature (0.5 to 2%).11 Laffer RR, Graber P, Ochsner PE, Zimmerli W. Outcome of prosthetic knee-associated infection: evaluation of 40 consecutive episodes at a single centre. Clin Microbiol Infect 2006;12(05): 433-439,22 Daines BK, Dennis DA, Amann S. Infection prevention in total knee arthroplasty. J Am Acad Orthop Surg 2015;23(06):356–364,1717 Kurtz SM, Ong KL, Lau E, Bozic KJ, Berry D, Parvizi J. Prosthetic joint infection risk after TKA in the Medicare population. Clin Orthop Relat Res 2010;468(01):52–56 Few randomized prospective studies have evaluated the effects of antibiotic-impregnated bone cement on infection rates. A prospective randomized study with 340 patients found that the addition of cefuroxime (2 g / 40 g) was effective in preventing deep infections (0 versus 3.1%; p = 0.024).1010 Chiu FY, Chen CM, Lin CF, Lo WH. Cefuroxime-impregnated cement in primary total knee arthroplasty: a prospective, randomized study of three hundred and forty knees. J Bone Joint Surg Am 2002;84(05):759–762 Another study with 1,625 patients revealed no difference between the use of a commercial formulation containing tobramycin (2.2%; 18/814) and the control group (3.1%; 25/811).1818 Gandhi R, Razak F, Pathy R, Davey JR, Syed K, Mahomed NN. Antibiotic bone cement and the incidence of deep infection after total knee arthroplasty. J Arthroplasty 2009;24(07):1015–1018 In another cohort study, the use of bone cement with gentamicin did not reduce the infection rate, even in patients considered part of a risk group.55 Qadir R, Sidhu S, Ochsner JL, Meyer MS, Chimento GF. Risk stratified usage of antibiotic-loaded bone cement for primary total knee arthroplasty: short term infection outcomes with a standardized cement protocol. J Arthroplasty 2014;29(08):1622–1624 In the present study, most infections occurred within the first 60 days after surgery. We cannot exclude the hypothesis that the 2 longest infections that occurred within 449 and 915 days and were caused by S. aureus are a consequence of acute hematogenous infection.

Diabetic patients are 1.28 times more likely to be infected.1919 Namba RS, Inacio MC, Paxton EW. Risk factors associated with deep surgical site infections after primary total knee arthroplasty: an analysis of 56,216 knees. J Bone Joint Surg Am 2013;95(09): 775–782 Although Chiu et al.2020 Chiu FY, Lin CF, Chen CM, Lo WH, Chaung TY. Cefuroxime-impregnated cement at primary total knee arthroplasty in diabetes mellitus. A prospective, randomised study. J Bone Joint Surg Br 2001;83(05):691–695 have shown the efficacy of using cement with cefuroxime in the prevention of deep infection in primary TKA in diabetic patients, Namba et al.2121 Namba RS, Chen Y, Paxton EW, Slipchenko T, Fithian DC. Outcomes of routine use of antibiotic-loaded cement in primary total knee arthroplasty. J Arthroplasty 2009;24(6 Suppl):44–47 did not observe a reduction in the infection rate in these patients. In the sample of our study, 37 diabetic patients were included in the No ATB group and 29 in the ATB group, but none of them developed infection. It is possible that the rigid preoperative control of blood glucose contributed to this finding. Although it is not possible to establish, from our results, a protocol for the use of antibiotics in bone cement in primary TKA in patients considered at risk, its use is supported by the literature.77 Abdelaziz H, von Förster G, Kühn KD, Gehrke T, Citak M. Minimum 5 years’ follow-up after gentamicin- and clindamycin-loaded PMMA cement in total joint arthroplasty. J Med Microbiol 2019;68(03):475–479

Morbid obesity (BMI > 40 Kg/m2) and obesity (BMI > 30 Kg/m2) combined with diabetes are risk factors for PAI after TKA.2323 Dowsey MM, Choong PF. Obese diabetic patients are at substantial risk for deep infection after primary TKA. Clin Orthop Relat Res 2009;467(06):1577–1581 In a series with ~ 7,000 primary TKAs, the infection rate was of 0.37% in patients with normal BMI and of 4.66% in the morbidlyobese group.2424 Jämsen E, Nevalainen P, Eskelinen A, Huotari K, Kalliovalkama J, Moilanen T. Obesity, diabetes, and preoperative hyperglycemia as predictors of periprosthetic joint infection: a single-center analysis of 7181 primary hip and knee replacements for osteoarthritis. J Bone Joint Surg Am 2012;94(14):e101 In our sample, none of the obese patients developed infection.

Serum albumin concentration is one of the most relevant and simple indicators of nutritional status assessment.2525 Cross MB, Yi PH, Thomas CF, Garcia J, Della Valle CJ. Evaluation of malnutrition in orthopaedic surgery. J Am Acad Orthop Surg 2014;22(03):193–199 The recommended parameter for patients undergoing arthroplasties is between 3.5g/dL and 5.0g/dL.2626 Rezapoor M, ParviziJ. Prevention of periprosthetic joint infection. J Arthroplasty 2015;30(06):902–907 From the patients with serum albumin level < 3.5 g/dL, 1 of each group presented PAI. In Brazil, the prevalence of malnutrition in patients hospitalized in the SUS is high.2727 Waitzberg DL, Caiaffa WT, Correia MI. Hospital malnutrition: the Brazilian national survey (IBRANUTRI): a study of 4000 patients. Nutrition 2001;17(7-8):573–580 In the future, it would be interesting to investigate the impact of malnutrition and protein deficiency, as well as the cost associated with malnutrition.

Similarly, surgery time is considered a risk factor for periprosthetic infection, especially when it exceeds 210 minutes.1717 Kurtz SM, Ong KL, Lau E, Bozic KJ, Berry D, Parvizi J. Prosthetic joint infection risk after TKA in the Medicare population. Clin Orthop Relat Res 2010;468(01):52–56 The mean surgery time was 85 minutes in the No ATB group and 90 minutes in the ATB group; the small difference can be explained by the extra time required to mix the cement with the antibiotic. Even so, the maximum time spent in this group was 150 minutes, much less than the 210 established as a limit in the literature. Surgeons should consider this aspect in planning the surgery or even consider the use of bone cement premixed with antibiotics.

Regarding safety, local use of antibiotics requires caution due to the potential risk of toxicity, allergic reactions, resistant microorganisms, and decreased mechanical resistance.1818 Gandhi R, Razak F, Pathy R, Davey JR, Syed K, Mahomed NN. Antibiotic bone cement and the incidence of deep infection after total knee arthroplasty. J Arthroplasty 2009;24(07):1015–1018 In the present study, we did not observe local or systemic allergic reactions or adverse events attributable to the antibiotic. It is important to note that the choice of vancomycin was based on a recommendation from the Hospital Infection Control Commission, due to the greater sensitivity of bacterial microbiota associated with post-TKA infections to this antibiotic. Although the addition of > 0.5 g of vancomycin affects the mechanical properties of bone cement, doses < 2 g lose their antimicrobial property.2828 Kim S, Bishop AR, Squire MW, Rose WE, Ploeg HL. Mechanical, elution, and antibacterial properties of simplex bone cement loaded with vancomycin. J Mech Behav Biomed Mater 2020;103:103588 Further studies should be conducted to determine the effect of vancomycin on the mechanical properties and elution of the antibiotic on DePuy-Synthes bone cement, used here. These results do not rule out the influence of other factors on PAI after primary TKA in our sample population – a tertiary public orthopedic center. Infection rates can be controlled through stricter patient care measures, and there is not a single determining factor for periprosthetic infection, but a set of factors.2929 Cram P, Lu X, Kates SL, Singh JA, Li Y, Wolf BR. Total knee arthroplasty volume, utilization, and outcomes among Medicare beneficiaries, 1991-2010. JAMA 2012;308(12):1227–1236 Thus, in the future, the analysis by subgroups, such as RA, obese and transfused patients, may guide the surgeon’s decision-making on the use of antibiotics in primary TKA in our population.

We considered as a strong point of the present study the long follow-up time (24 months) without loss to follow-up. However, we recognize as limitations not having performed the sample calculation, which made it impossible to analyze not only subgroups by comorbidities, but also other factors, such as ischemia, transfusion, and nutritional aspects. Additional prospective studies with larger Brazilian sample sizes and based on the most recent infection diagnostic criteria are required.3030 Parvizi J, Tan TL, Goswami K, et al. The 2018 Definition of Periprosthetic Hip and Knee Infection: An Evidence-Based and Validated Criteria. J Arthroplasty 2018;33(05):1309-1314.e2 Another point to be considered is that microbiological analysis of the prosthesis explanted by the sonication method was not performed. This analysis could increase the sensitivity of the diagnosis of infection. In addition, the cost-benefit ratio of bone cement impregnated with antibiotics should also be investigated. As far as we know, only 1 study, including 34 patients, evaluated the economic impact of periprosthetic knee joint infection in Brazilian hospitals. The total additional cost was estimated at US$ 91,843.75,3131 Dal-Paz K, Oliveira PR, Paula AP, Emerick MC, Pécora JR, Lima AL. Economic impact of treatment for surgical site infections in cases of total knee arthroplasty in a tertiary public hospital in Brazil. Braz J Infect Dis 2010;14(04):356–359 while 2g of Vancomycin cost ~ BRL120 (~ US$ 30.00) in the Brazilian market. Another study estimated the cost of treating hip arthroplasty infection at BRL 55,821.62 (~ US$ 14,561) per patient.66 Frazão VL, Miyahara HS, Kirihara RA, Lima ALLM, Croci AT, Vicente JRN. Social profile and cost analysis of deep infection following total hip replacement surgery. Rev Bras Ortop 2017;52(06): 720–724

Conclusion

Finally, the use of antibiotic-impregnated cement should not be encouraged in primary total knee arthroplasties. We believe that our results may direct the conduct of orthopedic surgeons and contribute to the reduction of inappropriate use of antibiotics.

  • 1
    Laffer RR, Graber P, Ochsner PE, Zimmerli W. Outcome of prosthetic knee-associated infection: evaluation of 40 consecutive episodes at a single centre. Clin Microbiol Infect 2006;12(05): 433-439
  • 2
    Daines BK, Dennis DA, Amann S. Infection prevention in total knee arthroplasty. J Am Acad Orthop Surg 2015;23(06):356–364
  • 3
    Delanois RE, Mistry JB, Gwam CU, Mohamed NS, Choksi US, Mont MA. Current Epidemiology of Revision Total Knee Arthroplasty in the United States. J Arthroplasty 2017;32(09):2663–2668
  • 4
    Cobra H. Causas de falha de artroplastia total de joelho. Rev INTO. 2009;7(04):11–18
  • 5
    Qadir R, Sidhu S, Ochsner JL, Meyer MS, Chimento GF. Risk stratified usage of antibiotic-loaded bone cement for primary total knee arthroplasty: short term infection outcomes with a standardized cement protocol. J Arthroplasty 2014;29(08):1622–1624
  • 6
    Frazão VL, Miyahara HS, Kirihara RA, Lima ALLM, Croci AT, Vicente JRN. Social profile and cost analysis of deep infection following total hip replacement surgery. Rev Bras Ortop 2017;52(06): 720–724
  • 7
    Abdelaziz H, von Förster G, Kühn KD, Gehrke T, Citak M. Minimum 5 years’ follow-up after gentamicin- and clindamycin-loaded PMMA cement in total joint arthroplasty. J Med Microbiol 2019;68(03):475–479
  • 8
    Hansen EN, Adeli B, Kenyon R, Parvizi J. Routine use of antibiotic laden bone cement for primary total knee arthroplasty: impact on infecting microbial patterns and resistance profiles. J Arthroplasty 2014;29(06):1123–1127
  • 9
    Fleischman AN, Austin MS. Local Intra-wound Administration of Powdered Antibiotics in Orthopaedic Surgery. J Bone Jt Infect 2017;2(01):23–28
  • 10
    Chiu FY, Chen CM, Lin CF, Lo WH. Cefuroxime-impregnated cement in primary total knee arthroplasty: a prospective, randomized study of three hundred and forty knees. J Bone Joint Surg Am 2002;84(05):759–762
  • 11
    Chen AF, Fleischman A, Austin MS. Use of Intrawound Antibiotics in Orthopaedic Surgery. J Am Acad Orthop Surg 2018;26(17): e371-e378
  • 12
    McLaren AC, Nugent M, Economopoulos K, Kaul H, Vernon BL, McLemore R. Hand-mixed and premixed antibiotic-loaded bone cement have similar homogeneity. Clin Orthop Relat Res 2009; 467(07):1693–1698
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Publication Dates

  • Publication in this collection
    17 Dec 2021
  • Date of issue
    Nov-Dec 2021

History

  • Received
    27 July 2020
  • Accepted
    01 Dec 2020
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E-mail: rbo@sbot.org.br