Acta Orthopaedica (Aug 2023)

The use of antibiotic-loaded bone cement and systemic antibiotic prophylactic use in 2,971,357 primary total knee arthroplasties from 2010 to 2020: an international register-based observational study among countries in Africa, Europe, North America, and Oceania

  • Tesfaye H Leta,
  • Anne Marie Fenstad,
  • Stein Håkon L Lygre,
  • Stein Atle Lie,
  • Martin Lindberg-Larsen,
  • Alma B Pedersen,
  • Annette W-Dahl,
  • Ola Rolfson,
  • Erik Bülow,
  • James A Ashforth,
  • Liza N van Steenbergen,
  • Rob G H H Nelissen,
  • Dylan Harries,
  • Richard De Steiger,
  • Olav Lutro,
  • Emmi Hakulinen,
  • Keijo Mäkelä,
  • Jinny Willis,
  • Michael Wyatt,
  • Chris Frampton,
  • Alexander Grimberg,
  • Arnd Steinbrück,
  • Yinan Wu,
  • Cristiana Armaroli,
  • Marco Molinari,
  • Roberto Picus,
  • Kyle Mullen,
  • Richard Illgen,
  • Ioan C Stoica,
  • Andreea E Vorovenci,
  • Dan Dragomirescu,
  • Håvard Dale,
  • Christian Brand,
  • Bernhard Christen,
  • Joanne Shapiro,
  • J Mark Wilkinson,
  • Richard Armstrong,
  • Kate Wooster,
  • Geir Hallan,
  • Jan-Erik Gjertsen,
  • Richard N Chang,
  • Heather A Prentice,
  • Elizabeth W Paxton,
  • Ove Furnes

DOI
https://doi.org/10.2340/17453674.2023.17737
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 94

Abstract

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Background and purpose: Antibiotic-loaded bone cement (ALBC) and systemic antibiotic prophylaxis (SAP) have been used to reduce periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) rates. We investigated the use of ALBC and SAP in primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Patients and methods: This observational study is based on 2,971,357 primary TKAs reported in 2010–2020 to national/regional joint arthroplasty registries in Australia, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Romania, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, the UK, and the USA. Aggregate-level data on trends and types of bone cement, antibiotic agents, and doses and duration of SAP used was extracted from participating registries. Results: ALBC was used in 77% of the TKAs with variation ranging from 100% in Norway to 31% in the USA. Palacos R+G was the most common (62%) ALBC type used. The primary antibiotic used in ALBC was gentamicin (94%). Use of ALBC in combination with SAP was common practice (77%). Cefazolin was the most common (32%) SAP agent. The doses and duration of SAP used varied from one single preoperative dosage as standard practice in Bolzano, Italy (98%) to 1-day 4 doses in Norway (83% of the 40,709 TKAs reported to the Norwegian arthroplasty register). Conclusion: The proportion of ALBC usage in primary TKA varies internationally, with gentamicin being the most common antibiotic. ALBC in combination with SAP was common practice, with cefazolin the most common SAP agent. The type of ALBC and type, dose, and duration of SAP varied among participating countries.

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