title: Long-term outcomes of postoperative septic arthritis after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Septic arthritis is a rare but potentially devastating complication of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction surgery. Several studies, including one by this group, have reported short- and medium-term outcomes, but to our knowledge there are no long-term follow-up studies.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Postoperative septic arthritis after ACL reconstruction surgery will lead to diminished long-term outcomes compared with surgery without infectious complications, likely related to the development of arthritis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Case series; Level of evidence, 4.
  
  
  METHODS
  Four of 831 consecutive patients undergoing arthroscopically guided ACL reconstruction surgeries performed by 1 surgeon were previously reported on by this group at an average follow-up of 36 months. These same patients were contacted and reevaluated. Each patient underwent a physical examination, functional testing, and subjective evaluations with the SF-36, Lysholm, International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC), and Tegner activity scale scores. Plain film radiographs and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans were analyzed by 2 musculoskeletal radiologists.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Average follow-up time for this study was 17.9 years, and average age was 44.3 years. No other injuries or surgeries had occurred from the time of the previous study. Each patient had a decline in SF-36, Lysholm, and IKDC score, and the average Tegner score was unchanged. Average vertical hop test performance and Biodex dynamometry were both improved. The average side-to-side displacement measured via the KT-1000 arthrometer was increased. Radiographic and MRI studies revealed progression of arthritis in all patients and ACL graft rupture in 1 patient.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients who develop septic arthritis as a complication of ACL reconstruction surgery have diminished long-term subjective, functional, and radiographic outcomes compared with historical reports of uncomplicated cases, likely related to pain from advanced arthritis. As compared with their own earlier follow-up, these patients had declines in pain-related subjective measures but remained stable or improved in both functional testing and activity-related subjective scales.
authors.affiliation: Orthopaedic & Rheumatologic Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.
authors.forename: David L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Schub
authors.forename: Leah M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Schmitz
authors.forename: Flavia A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Sakamoto
authors.forename: Carl S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Winalski
authors.forename: Richard D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Parker
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D059549:Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001170:Arthritis, Infectious / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007718:Knee Injuries / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D009820:Ohio / Q000453:epidemiology; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult