Abstract
Little information is available regarding the demographic characteristics and outcomes of patients with periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) resulting from anaerobic organisms, especially in the knee joint.
We performed a retrospective cohort analysis of all cases of knee PJI that were treated at our institution during the period from 2005 through 2012.
Anaerobes were involved in 11 (13%) of 86 first-time episodes of knee PJI, and peptostreptococcus was the most commonly isolated pathogen (10 [91%] of the 11 episodes). The average age of patients was 70 years (range, 62 to 79) and women were more than men (7 vs. 4) to develop anaerobic PJI. Of the 11 episodes of anaerobic PJI, 8 (73%) were treated with 2-stage revision arthroplasty for chronic latent infection, and 3 (27%) with parenteral antibiotics for positive intraoperative culture. Those treating with 2-stage revision arthroplasty had average 21 months prosthetic age (range, 2 to 41), and 10 weeks interim period between stages (range, 7 to 14). The overall successful rate for treating anaerobic knee PJI was 90%, and 88% for chronic latent infection.
naerobic PJI represents a substantial proportion of all occurrences of knee PJI. Treating with resection of the prosthesis and subsequent reimplantation is associated with a favorable outcome for chronic latent infection.
