Long term follow-up of successfully treated superficial wound infections following TKA.

The relevance of wound complications in association with acute prosthetic joint infection (PJI) is well known. However, whether a successfully treated superficial infection can result in a chronic deep infection remains unclear. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence, treatment and late complications of superficial wound infections following TKA. In a 3000 TKA prospective cohort, 45 superficial infections were diagnosed and treated successfully with antibiotic therapy along with or without surgical debridement. None of the cases developed deep chronic PJI at 70 months of follow-up. Three cases were in need of a TKA exchange due to aseptic loosening. A successfully treated superficial wound infection does not result in a chronic deep TKA infection.