Knee replacement surgeryis a common procedure performed on more than 500,000 patients a year in the United States.
One of the most concerning complications associated with a knee replacement is an infection.
Infection after knee replacement surgery is rare.
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In the first 2 years after surgery, the chance of developing an infection is estimated at 1.5%.
After 2 years, the chance of infection goes down to about 0.5%.
Why Do Knee Replacement Infections Occur?
We do know that some patients are more prone to developing infections of their knee replacement.
Intravenous antibiotics should be given within 1 hourfrom the start of surgeryto ensure the lowest risk of infection.
Treatment of Knee Replacement Infections
Knee replacement infectionsare usually separated into categories of early versus late infections.
Multiple surgical procedures may be necessary, and antibiotics are usually continued for a minimum of 6 weeks.
Theknee replacementimplants may become loose if the infection has been presentfor a long time.
In these cases, the implants often need to be removed and the infection treated.
Success of Treatment
The success of treatment for knee replacement infections depends on a number of factors.
Infections diagnosed early on tend to fare better than late infections.
Infections of bacteria that are sensitive to more antibiotics are more easily treated than resistant infections.
Overall, the success of the treatment is in the range of 70% to 90%.
2018;11(3):325-331. doi:10.1007/s12178-018-9494-z
