title: Local infectious complications following large joint replacement in rheumatoid arthritis patients treated with methotrexate versus those not treated with methotrexate.
abstract: We performed a 10-year retrospective analysis of the frequency of local postoperative infectious complications in methotrexate (MTX)-treated rheumatoid arthritis patients who underwent total joint arthroplasty. Sixty patients, who had a total of 92 joint arthroplasties, were receiving MTX. A comparison group of 61 patients with a combined total of 110 total joint arthroplasties were not receiving MTX. The 2 groups were compared for the occurrence of local postoperative infectious complications and poor wound healing. Eight patients in the MTX group experienced a total of 8 complications (8.7% of procedures). In comparison, 5 patients in the non-MTX group experienced a total of 6 complications (5.5% of procedures), a difference that was not statistically significant (chi 2 = 0.816, P = 0.366). Statistical analysis of many other variables revealed none that could be identified as risk factors for postoperative complications. These results suggest that treatment in the perioperative period with weekly low-dose pulse MTX does not increase the risk of local postoperative infectious complications or poor wound healing in rheumatoid arthritis patients who undergo total joint arthroplasty.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatic and Immunologic Disease, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Ohio 44195-5028.
authors.forename: R S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Perhala
authors.forename: W S
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Wilke
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Clough
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Segal
mesh_terms: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000601:surgery*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007720:Knee Prosthesis; D008297:Male; D008727:Methotrexate / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011241:Prednisone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012086:Reoperation; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013529:Surgical Wound Dehiscence / Q000453:epidemiology; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000453:epidemiology*
chemical_list: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones; D005492:Folic Acid; D011241:Prednisone; D008727:Methotrexate