Background: Progress in orthopaedics has now made it possible to improve the functional status of damaged hip joints with hip arthroplasty and eliminate the associated pain. The constantly growing number of hip replacement procedures is, however, associated with a proportional rise in the number of subsequent surgery-related complications. The most important complication is septic loosening of the implant. The treatment of septic complications is often ineffective and recovery becomes impossible. In that setting, an awareness of the risk factors of septic complications and an ability to prevent periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) are becoming necessary.
Aim: The aim of the study was to analyse the risk factors of PJI as an essential element of the prophylaxis of septic complications.
Material and methods: We analysed the data of 142 patients treated for PJI at the Ward of Bone and Joint Infections, Department of Orthopaedics, Medical Centre of Postgraduate Education in Otwock, between 2008 and 2010. Their medical records were analysed retrospectively. The diagnosis was evidence-based, relying on case histories, physical examination and accessory investigations, including imaging studies and biochemical and microbiological testing.
Results: The analysis of clinical data served to identify factors that appeared repetitively in the patients with PJI treated at the Ward. Those elements constitute the combination of risk factors for PIJ.
Conclusions: 1. An awareness of risk factors for septic complications and their early elimination are necessary in daily orthopaedic care. 2. The pre-surgery checklist is a very effective tool to eliminate the most common risk factors of PJI.