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Diagnosis of Infected Total Knee: Findings of a Multicenter Database

  • Symposium: Papers Presented at the Annual Meetings of the Knee Society
  • Published:
Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research

Abstract

Although total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is an effective and successful procedure, the outcome is occasionally compromised by complications including periprosthetic joint infection (PJI). Accurate and early diagnosis is the first step in effectively managing patients with PJI. At the present time, diagnosis remains dependent on clinical judgment and reliance on standard clinical tests including serologic tests, analysis of aspirated joint fluid, and interpretation of intraoperative tissue and fluid test results. Although reports regarding sensitivity and specificity of all diagnostic tests in the literature are abundant, the interpretation of the available data has been hampered by the low sample size of these studies. In view of the scope of this important problem and the limitations of previous reports, a large database was assembled of all revision TKA performed at three academic referral centers in order to determine the current status of diagnosis of the infected TKA utilizing commonly available tests. Intraoperative cultures should not be used as a gold standard for PJI owing to high percentages of false-negative and false-positive cases. When combined with clinical judgment, total white cell count and percentage of neutrophils in the synovial fluid more accurately reflects PJI and when combined with hematologic exams safely excludes or confirms infection.

Level of Evidence: Level II, prognostic study. See Guidelines for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Rothman Institute of Orthopedics, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Javad Parvizi MD, FRCS, Elie Ghanem MD & Peter Sharkey MD

  2. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA

    Ajay Aggarwal MD, R. Stephen J. Burnett MD, FRCS(C) & Robert L. Barrack MD

  3. Charles F. and Joanne Knight Distinguished Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, Chief of Staff for Orthopaedic Surgery, Barnes-Jewish Hospital, One Barnes-Jewish Hospital Plaza, 11300 West Pavilion, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA

    Robert L. Barrack MD

Authors
  1. Javad Parvizi MD, FRCS
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  2. Elie Ghanem MD
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  3. Peter Sharkey MD
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  4. Ajay Aggarwal MD
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  5. R. Stephen J. Burnett MD, FRCS(C)
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  6. Robert L. Barrack MD
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Robert L. Barrack MD.

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Each author certifies that he or she has no commercial associations (eg, consultancies, stock ownership, equity interest, patent/licensing arrangements, etc) that might pose a conflict of interest in connection with the submitted article.

Each author certifies that his or her institution has approved the human protocol for this investigation and that all investigations were conducted in conformity with ethical principles of research, and that informed consent for participation in the study was obtained.

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Parvizi, J., Ghanem, E., Sharkey, P. et al. Diagnosis of Infected Total Knee: Findings of a Multicenter Database. Clin Orthop Relat Res 466, 2628–2633 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11999-008-0471-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11999-008-0471-5

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