Is there a risk of a deep infection after intra-articular injections prior to a total knee replacement?

The aim of the study is to identify the risks associated with an intra-articular injection prior to a total knee arthroplasty (TKA). 1628 patients were retrospectively studied over a seven-year time period. The patients were divided into two groups; patient who received an intra-articular injection prior to a TKA and patients who did not receive an injection prior to a TKA. There were 16 deep infections identified (0.98%). 10 deep infections were identified in the patients who did not receive an injection prior to a TKA (1.18%) and 6 deep infections were identified in patients who received an injection prior to a TKA (0.77%). There does not appear to be a correlation with the timing of the injection prior to surgery and increased risk of infection.



Literature:
Amin NH et al. The Risk of a Deep Infection Associated With Intra-Articular Injections Prior to a Total Knee Arthroplasty. J Arthroplasty 2015, online 19. August; doi: 10.1016/j.arth.2015.08.001