Connective tissue disease and other related rheumatic conditions among patients with finger and hand and temporomandibular joint prostheses in Denmark.
OBJECTIVE
To determine if finger and hand joint prostheses or temporomandibular joint (TMJ) implants may be involved in the initiation of specific connective tissue diseases (CTD), a nationwide cohort in Denmark was followed prospectively to evaluate rates of CTD after receiving these implants.


METHODS
Danish patients with finger and hand joint implants (n = 562) or TMJ implants (n = 351) were identified and followed for subsequent hospitalizations. Observed numbers of hospitalizations due to CTD were compared with expected numbers based on national CTD hospitalization rates. To avoid confounding by indication, patients with a hospital discharge diagnosis of a CTD prior to prosthetic surgery were excluded from the cohort.


RESULTS
After 4142 person-years of followup in the finger and hand joint cohort, 9 hospitalizations due to CTD were found [standard hospitalization rate (SHR) = 1.5; 95% CI 0.7-2.9]. The TMJ cohort had 1500 person-years of followup and 2 hospitalizations due to CTD (SHR = 1.3; 95% CI 0.2-4.5).


CONCLUSIONS
This is the first cohort study to examine the relations between these implants and CTD. Although the number of events was small, this systematic national study revealed no significant or large increase in risk of CTD after finger and hand joint implants or TMJ implants.
Fryzek
J P
JP
International Epidemiology Institute, Rockville, Maryland 20850, USA. info@ieiltd.com
Mellemkjaer
L
L
Friis
S
S
McLaughlin
J K
JK
Rosenthal
A K
AK
Blot
W J
WJ
Olsen
J H
JH
D000368:Aged; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003240:Connective Tissue Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000601:surgery; D003718:Denmark / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005385:Fingers / Q000601:surgery*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019736:Prostheses and Implants; D012216:Rheumatic Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000601:surgery; D012307:Risk Factors; D013704:Temporomandibular Joint / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome