The influence of steroid injections on the incidence of infection following total knee arthroplasty.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate whether a relationship exists between preoperative intra-articular steroid injections and postoperative wound healing in total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Similar research studies on total hip arthroplasty (THA) have found higher rates of post surgical problems in hips that have been injected with steroids.


METHODS
Thirty-eight patients with TKA postoperative wound infection, and 352 TKA patients without postoperative wound infection were compared against corticosteroid injected and non-injected patients. Variables measured were diabetes, cigarette smoking, knee scores, number of injections, injection administrator, and preoperative injection intervals.


RESULTS
No significant difference emerged in rates of infection or between smoking rates and diabetes. Number of injections, preoperative injection interval and injection administrator did not significantly influence outcome. A significant difference exists between each group's knee scores.


CONCLUSIONS
Injecting knees with corticosteroids prior to TKA did not increase the incidence of postoperative wound infection.
Horne
Geoffrey
G
Orthopaedic Department, Wellington Hospital, Wellington, New Zealand.
Devane
Peter
P
Davidson
Andrew
A
Adams
Kathryn
K
Purdie
Gordon
G
D019645:Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007270:Injections, Intra-Articular; D009520:New Zealand / Q000453:epidemiology; D020370:Osteoarthritis, Knee / Q000601:surgery*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*
D005938:Glucocorticoids