Huub J L van der Heide, H M J Enrike van der Linden, Tom W J Huizinga, Leo G Visser
Afd. Orthopedie, Leids Universitair Medisch Centrum, Leiden, the Netherlands. h.j.l.van_der_heide@lumc.nl
Nederlands tijdschrift voor geneeskunde 2013Prosthetic joint infection (PJI) is a major complication after total joint arthroplasty. The most common source of these PJIs is a wound infection immediately after implantation of the artificial joint; however, haematogenous infection is also a common source of PJIs. We describe 3 patients, all suffering from (rheumatoid) arthritis, who presented at the emergency department with a wound on the foot or ankle and a swollen and painful prosthetic knee joint, which was functioning well for a long period of time (6 months to 5 years). All patients had several debridements of their infected total knee arthroplasty with local and systemic antibiotics. Patient outcome was widely diverse: from death to successful treatment. These case descriptions are good examples of the different outcomes from a major complication after a small wound. Care should be taken particularly for wounds around the foot and ankle in patients with a total joint arthroplasty, especially those who also have diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis or are immunocompromised.
Huub J L van der Heide, H M J Enrike van der Linden, Tom W J Huizinga, Leo G Visser. Haematogenous infection of a prosthetic joint]. Nederlands tijdschrift voor geneeskunde. 2013;157(12):A5448
PMID: 23515033
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