Hidradenitis Suppurativa Leads to Increased Risk of Wound-Related Complications following Total Joint Arthroplasty

BACKGROUND: Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a skin disorder characterized by inflammatory skin lesions that are most commonly in the inguinal and axillary regions. These skin lesions are common sites of bacterial growth and are thus a potential risk factor for infection following procedures such as total hip arthroplasty (THA) or total knee arthroplasty (TKA). MATERIAL AND METHODS: Adult patients undergoing THA or TKA for degenerative etiologies were identified from PearlDiver datasets. For THA and TKA, HS patients were matched 1:4 with non-HS patients based on age, sex, and Elixhauser Comorbidity Index. The incidence of 90-day any, severe, minor, and specific adverse events was compiled and compared with multivariate analyses. Five-year revision rates were plotted on Kaplan-Meier survival curves and compared with log-rank tests. RESULTS: For THA, 331,627 patients were identified, of which HS was noted for 481 patients (0.15%). For TKA, 274,161 patients were identified, of which HS was noted for 290 patients (0.11%). Following THA, HS patients had increased odds of wound dehiscence (odds ratio = 2.55, P = .002). Following TKA, HS patients had increased odds of surgical site infection (odds ratio = 1.95, P = .006). All other 90-day adverse events were not significantly different. There was no significant difference in 5-year implant survival in either procedure. CONCLUSIONS: HS is a rare but identified comorbidity for those undergoing THA or TKA. Although most 90-day adverse events and 5-year implant survival were similar to those without this condition, specific wound-related issues were elevated by roughly twofold. These findings could help inform patients and surgeons.