Risk Factors for Periprosthetic Joint Infection Following Total Ankle Replacement

CATEGORY: Ankle, Ankle Arthritis INTRODUCTION/PURPOSE: A major complication of total ankle replacement (TAR) is a periprosthetic joint infection (PJI). The reported rate of this complication ranges between 2.4 – 8.9%. Identifying preoperative patient characteristics that correlate with an increased risk of PJI is of great interest to orthopaedic surgeons, as this may assist with appropriate patient selection. The purpose of this study is to systematically review the literature to identify risk factors that are associated with PJI following TAR. METHODS: Utilizing the terms “(risk factor OR risk OR risks) AND (infection OR infected) AND (ankle replacement OR ankle arthroplasty)” we searched the PubMed/MEDLINE electronic databases. Using the PRISMA guidelines, studies were selected for inclusion if they assessed clinical risk factors for developing a PJI following TAR. In addition, the reference lists of included studies were also reviewed and compared to the collected studies to ensure that no pertinent papers were omitted. The quality of the included studies was then assessed using the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Clinical Practice Guideline and Systematic Review Methodology. Recommendations were made using the overall strength of evidence. RESULTS: Eight studies met the inclusion criteria, totaling 12,704 patients who underwent a TAR. A limited strength of recommendation can be made that the following preoperative patient characteristics correlate with an increased risk of PJI following TAR: inflammatory arthritis, prior ankle surgery, age greater than 65 years, body mass index less than 19, peripheral vascular disease, chronic lung disease, hypothyroidism, and low preoperative AOFAS hindfoot scores. There is conflicting evidence in the literature regarding the effect of obesity, tobacco use, diabetes, and duration of surgery. CONCLUSION: Several risk factors were identified as having an association with PJI following TAR. These factors may alert surgeons that a higher rate of PJI is possible. However, because of the low level of evidence of reported studies, only a limited strength of recommendation can be ascribed to regard these as risk factors for PJI at this time.