Septic Arthritis After Knee Joint Replacement

Septic Arthritis

 

Septic arthritis is an infection of a joint from within or outside due to neglected injury, surgery, or due to deposition of infectious agents from other organs. The condition is quite painful and causes stiffness, swelling, and redness of the affected joint. Patients may develop fever and body ache depending on the severity of the condition. Though septic arthritis is not necessarily fatal, the condition requires immediate medical attention. Patients may have to undergo emergency treatment to prevent any further health complications.

 

Septic arthritis is most likely to develop after withstanding a perforating injury or trauma to the joint. It is also a common post-surgical complication developing after arthroscopic knee surgery in Mumbai.

 

This article discusses the causative factors that may contribute to the development of septic arthritis after knee surgery.

Risk Of Developing Septic Arthritis Of Knee Joint After Surgery

 

Knee joint surgery is an intensive surgical procedure that involves surgical removal of the diseased knee joint and replacing it with an artificially designed prosthesis. Like every surgical procedure, total knee replacement in Mumbai also has some complications associated with it. Septic arthritis is one of the serious complications that patients may encounter. Here are the reasons why:

 

  • Poor Sterilization

 

Septic arthritis may develop if the instruments used for knee joint replacement surgery have not been sterilized well enough. Superior levels of hygiene and sanitation go a long way in maintaining a sterile environment during surgery and in preventing infection of the operated tissue.

 

  • Deep Invasion Of Tissues

 

Deeper layers of soft tissues like fascia, muscles, and ligaments are invaded during joint replacement surgery. Sometimes the soft tissue gets exposed to the external environment for a long time, which increases the risk of developing infection that can lead to septic arthritis.

 

  • Transfer Of Infection From Surrounding Tissue

 

If any of the muscles, tendons, or ligaments surrounding the knee joint that is being operated are a source of any previous infection, the chance of developing septic arthritis increases substantially. Therefore, it is very important for the surgeon to avoid invading any surrounding tissue that are not part of the knee joint structure during the joint replacement procedure.

 

  • Diabetic Patient

 

Diabetics are at a greater risk of developing any infection in comparison to non-diabetic patients. Surgeons are expected to follow extra precautions while performing knee joint replacement surgery on a diabetic patient to avoid development of septic arthritis.

 

Septic arthritis may also develop due to other unknown causes depending on the patient’s general health. Patients who experience recurrent or increasing pain in their operated knee joint with inability to use the joint should consult with an orthopaedic surgeon in Saifee Hospital Mumbai at the earliest to avoid any health complications.

One Thought to “Septic Arthritis After Knee Joint Replacement”

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