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Serum concentrations of interleukin-6 in patients following unilateral versus bilateral total knee arthroplasty

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Journal of Orthopaedic Science

Abstract

Background

Surgical stress is known to affect body temperature, white blood cell (WBC) count, C-reactive protein (CRP), and interleukin-6 (IL-6). The aim of the present study was to investigate which parameter is most suitable for quantitative analysis of surgical stress.

Methods

Unilateral total knee arthroplasty (U-TKA) and bilateral TKA (B-TKA) were selected for the subjects of this study because the B-TKA creates approximately double the surgical stress of the U-TKA. The temperature, WBC count, CRP, and IL-6 in the blood were measured pre- and postoperatively in both groups. The IL-6 in the drainage fluid was also measured after the operation.

Results

The temperature, WBC count, CRP, and IL-6 in the blood significantly increased on the first day after the operation in both groups. There were significant differences between the two groups in the WBC count (P < 0.05) and the IL-6 level in the blood (P < 0.05) on the first day after the surgery. There were no significant differences between the two groups for the CRP and IL-6 levels in the drainage fluid. The relative proportions — (B-TKA/U-TKA) × 100 (%) — were 170.4% for the operating time, 219.4 % for total blood loss, 200.0% for blood transfusion, 100.3% for temperature, 128.9% for WBC count, 127.4% for CRP, and 246.5% for the IL-6 level in the blood.

Conclusions

The serum IL-6 level may best reflect surgical stress and could therefore be a quantitative marker of surgical stress.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Saga University, 5-1-1 Nabeshima, Saga, 849-8501, Japan

    Hajime Kugisaki, Motoki Sonohata, Mitsunori Komine, Kenji Tsunoda, Shinsuke Someya, Hidefumi Honke, Masaaki Mawatari & Takao Hotokebuchi

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  1. Hajime Kugisaki
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  2. Motoki Sonohata
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  3. Mitsunori Komine
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  4. Kenji Tsunoda
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  5. Shinsuke Someya
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  6. Hidefumi Honke
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  7. Masaaki Mawatari
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  8. Takao Hotokebuchi
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Kugisaki, H., Sonohata, M., Komine, M. et al. Serum concentrations of interleukin-6 in patients following unilateral versus bilateral total knee arthroplasty. J Orthop Sci 14, 437–442 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00776-009-1344-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00776-009-1344-9

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