OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the complication rates after conversion of hip and knee fusions to total joint replacements in the Province of Ontario. DESIGN: A retrospective cohort study. PATIENTS: Those who had undergone an elective conversion of a hip or knee fusion to a total joint replacement during fiscal year 1993 through 1996, as captured in the Canadian Institute for Health Information and Ontario Health Insurance Plan databases. OUTCOME MEASURES: Inhospital complications and length of initial hospital stay, revision, infection, amputation and repeat fusion rates within 4 years. RESULTS: Conversion of hip and knee fusion to total joint arthroplasty was generally performed by high-volume surgeons in high-volume hospital settings. Forty hip and 18 knee replacements involved conversion of a previous fusion. Conversion of a hip fusion was associated with a 10% infection rate, a 10% revision rate and a 5% resection arthroplasty rate due to infection within 4 years of the conversion. Conversion of a knee fusion was associated with an 11% infection rate, and a more than 5% revision rate at 4 years. Over 16% of patients who underwent conversion of a knee fusion required removal of the components (for various reasons) within the first 4 years. CONCLUSIONS: There is a high rate of complications after conversion of a hip or knee fusion to a total joint arthroplasty. These issues must be carefully considered and discussed with the patient before any conversion procedure.
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the complication rates after conversion of hip and knee fusions to total joint replacements in the Province of Ontario. DESIGN: A retrospective cohort study. PATIENTS: Those who had undergone an elective conversion of a hip or knee fusion to a total joint replacement during fiscal year 1993 through 1996, as captured in the Canadian Institute for Health Information and Ontario Health Insurance Plan databases. OUTCOME MEASURES: Inhospital complications and length of initial hospital stay, revision, infection, amputation and repeat fusion rates within 4 years. RESULTS: Conversion of hip and knee fusion to total joint arthroplasty was generally performed by high-volume surgeons in high-volume hospital settings. Forty hip and 18 knee replacements involved conversion of a previous fusion. Conversion of a hip fusion was associated with a 10% infection rate, a 10% revision rate and a 5% resection arthroplasty rate due to infection within 4 years of the conversion. Conversion of a knee fusion was associated with an 11% infection rate, and a more than 5% revision rate at 4 years. Over 16% of patients who underwent conversion of a knee fusion required removal of the components (for various reasons) within the first 4 years. CONCLUSIONS: There is a high rate of complications after conversion of a hip or knee fusion to a total joint arthroplasty. These issues must be carefully considered and discussed with the patient before any conversion procedure.
Authors: Julio J Jauregui; Joseph K Kim; William P Shield; Matthew Harb; Emmanuel M Illical; Farshad Adib; Aditya V Maheshwari Journal: Int Orthop Date: 2017-03-27 Impact factor: 3.075
Authors: Willem Alexander Kernkamp; Wiebe Christiaan Verra; Bart Godefridus Pijls; Jan Wilhelmus Schoones; Henrica Maria Jannetta van der Linden; Rob Gerardus Henricus Hubertus Nelissen Journal: Int Orthop Date: 2016-03-16 Impact factor: 3.075