Knee Arthrodesis With an Intramedullary Antegrade Rod as a Salvage Procedure for the Chronically Infected Total Knee Arthroplasty. 2020

Nicholas M Brown, and Rishi Balkissoon, and Bryan M Saltzman, and Bryan Haughom, and Jefferson Li, and Brett Levine, and Scott Sporer
From the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood, IL (Dr. Brown); the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Rochester Medical Center, Orthopaedics & Rehabilitation, Rochester, NY (Dr. Balkissoon); OrthoCarolina, Sports Medicine Center, Atrium Health Musculoskeletal Institute (MSKI), Charlotte, NC (Dr. Saltzman); Anchorage Fracture & Orthopedic Clinic, Anchorage, AK (Dr. Haughom); UCSF Fresno, Fresno, CA (Dr. Li); the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL (Dr. Levine); and the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Cadence Health, Winfield, IL (Dr. Sporer).

Infection is a challenging complication after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) that is often treatable. However, recurrent infection may require resection, amputation, or arthrodesis. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the results of antegrade nailing with an intramedullary rod for the treatment of a chronically infected TKA. This study was a retrospective review of a consecutive series of 18 patients with chronically infected TKA treated with arthrodesis using a long antegrade intramedullary nail. There were 11 women and 7 men with an average age of 65 years and average body mass index of 33.8 kg/m. Patients had an average of 7.4 procedures before fusion, and mean follow-up was 50 months. One patient died in the early postoperative period, leaving 17 patients for evaluation. Fusion was defined radiographically as bony bridging of the joint surfaces visible on both anterior-posterior and lateral radiographs. Ambulatory ability, need for chronic antibiotic suppression, complications, and nail removal were recorded. Sixteen of 17 patients (94%) underwent successful fusion. Ten of 17 patients (59%) continued to ambulate with 9 of these patients requiring an assist device and 7 of 17 patients (41%) predominantly used a wheelchair. Chronic antibiotic suppression was used in 13 of 17 patients (76%). Two patients required nail removal (one for pseudarthrosis and one for possible total hip arthroplasty) and overall 8 of 17 patients (47%) had a complication. Six of 18 patients (33%) died within 2 years of their fusion procedure. Knee arthrodesis with an antegrade intramedullary nail is a viable treatment option for the chronically infected TKA. There was a high rate of successful fusion, along with a high rate of complications, mortality, and need for chronic antibiotic suppression. Knee arthrodesis with a long IMN is a suitable treatment method as salvage for a chronically infected TKA, but patients should be counseled on the high rate of postoperative complications, poor ambulatory rate, likely need for suppressive antibiotics, and high mortality rate.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008297 Male Males
D012086 Reoperation A repeat operation for the same condition in the same patient due to disease progression or recurrence, or as followup to failed previous surgery. Revision, Joint,Revision, Surgical,Surgery, Repeat,Surgical Revision,Repeat Surgery,Revision Surgery,Joint Revision,Revision Surgeries,Surgery, Revision
D001858 Bone Nails Rods of bone, metal, or other material used for fixation of the fragments or ends of fractured bones. Bone Pins,Bone Nail,Bone Pin,Nail, Bone,Nails, Bone,Pin, Bone,Pins, Bone
D005260 Female Females
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000368 Aged A person 65 years of age or older. For a person older than 79 years, AGED, 80 AND OVER is available. Elderly
D001174 Arthrodesis The surgical fixation of a joint by a procedure designed to accomplish fusion of the joint surfaces by promoting the proliferation of bone cells. (Dorland, 28th ed) Arthrodeses
D012189 Retrospective Studies Studies used to test etiologic hypotheses in which inferences about an exposure to putative causal factors are derived from data relating to characteristics of persons under study or to events or experiences in their past. The essential feature is that some of the persons under study have the disease or outcome of interest and their characteristics are compared with those of unaffected persons. Retrospective Study,Studies, Retrospective,Study, Retrospective
D016459 Prosthesis-Related Infections Infections resulting from the implantation of prosthetic devices. The infections may be acquired from intraoperative contamination (early) or hematogenously acquired from other sites (late). Prosthesis Related Infection,Prosthesis-Related Infection,Infections, Prosthesis-Related,Infection, Prosthesis Related,Prosthesis Related Infections,Related Infection, Prosthesis,Related Infections, Prosthesis
D019645 Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee Replacement of the knee joint. Knee Replacement, Total,Arthroplasties, Knee Replacement,Arthroplasties, Replacement, Knee,Arthroplasty, Knee Replacement,Arthroplasty, Replacement, Partial Knee,Knee Arthroplasty,Knee Arthroplasty, Total,Knee Replacement Arthroplasties,Knee Replacement Arthroplasty,Partial Knee Arthroplasty,Partial Knee Replacement,Replacement Arthroplasties, Knee,Replacement Arthroplasty, Knee,Replacement, Total Knee,Total Knee Replacement,Unicompartmental Knee Arthroplasty,Unicompartmental Knee Replacement,Unicondylar Knee Arthroplasty,Unicondylar Knee Replacement,Arthroplasty, Knee,Arthroplasty, Partial Knee,Arthroplasty, Total Knee,Arthroplasty, Unicompartmental Knee,Arthroplasty, Unicondylar Knee,Knee Arthroplasty, Partial,Knee Arthroplasty, Unicompartmental,Knee Arthroplasty, Unicondylar,Knee Replacement, Partial,Knee Replacement, Unicompartmental,Knee Replacement, Unicondylar,Total Knee Arthroplasty

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