title: Total knee arthroplasty has higher postoperative morbidity than unicompartmental knee arthroplasty: a multicenter analysis.
abstract: A total of 2235 primary total knee arthroplasties (TKAs) and 605 unicompartmental knee arthroplasties performed at 3 institutions over 5 years were reviewed to compare the incidence of postoperative complications between these groups. The overall risk of complications for patients undergoing TKA was 11.0%, compared with 4.3% for patients undergoing unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (P < .0001). Total knee arthroplasty was associated with increased rates of manipulation (odds ratio [OR], 13.0; P < .0001), transfusion (OR, 8.5; P = .036), intensive care unit admission (OR, 7.4; P = .049), discharge to a rehabilitation facility (OR, 5.2; P < .0001) and had longer hospital stays (mean, 3.3 vs 2.0 days; P < .0001). There was a trend toward an increased risk of deep infection (0.8% vs 0.2%, P = .13), readmission (4.2% vs 2.7%, P = .0795), thromboembolic events (1.0% vs 0.64%, P = .398), and any reoperation (1.4% vs 0.6%; P = .064). The increased risk of perioperative complications after TKA should be considered when counseling patients if they are an appropriate candidate for either procedure.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Rush University Medical Center, Charlotte, North Carolina, USA.
authors.forename: Nicholas M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: Neil P
authors.initials: NP
authors.lastname: Sheth
authors.forename: Kenneth
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.forename: Mike E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Berend
authors.forename: Adolph V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Lombardi
authors.forename: Keith R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Berend
authors.forename: Craig J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Della Valle
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D019645:Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies