Brucella infection in total knee arthroplasty. Case report and revision of the literature.
Brucella infection in arthroplasties is a rare event. An unspecific clinical symptomatology is associated with unclear radiographic peri-prosthetic signs of bone halisteresis. Only a positive anamnesis, combined with an antibiogram of the joint liquid and a high serum antibody titre, can lead to a definitive diagnosis. We report a case of Brucella melitensis infection in a total knee arthroplasty implanted 2 years earlier. With the absence of radiological signs of prosthetic loosening and thanks to a systemic antibiotic combined therapy (rifampicin + doxycycline) extended for 8 weeks, we were able to solve the infection avoiding surgery.
Tassinari
Enrico
E
1a Divisione di Ortopedia e Traumatologia, Istituti Ortopedici Rizzoli, Via G. Pupilli 1, 40136, Bologna, Italy. enrico.tassinari@ior.it
Di Motta
Daniele
D
Giardina
Federico
F
Traina
Francesco
F
De Fine
Marcello
M
Toni
Aldo
A
D000368:Aged; D002006:Brucellosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy; D006801:Humans; D007720:Knee Prosthesis / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008297:Male; D016459:Prosthesis-Related Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy