Solid Organ Transplant Patients Experience High Rates of Infection and Other Complications After Total Knee Arthroplasty

Survival after solid organ transplants in the United States is increasing, and there is a need to understand the complications in knee arthroplasty patients who underwent organ transplantation. A retrospective study was conducted from 1993–2008 on 19 patients (23 knee arthroplasties) with previous successful solid organ transplants. Eleven knee arthroplasties were performed after renal transplantation, and 12 after nonrenal solid organ transplant (seven liver, four heart, one lung). Complications occurred in 9/23 patients (39.1%) and infections occurred in 4/23 patients (17.3%). Of the infected knees, two had MRSA, one had MSSA, and one Escherichia coli. Noninfectious complications (5/24, 21.7%) include aseptic loosening, quadriceps rupture, femoral fracture, hemarthrosis, and arthrofibrosis. All patients with complications were on immunosuppressant medications at the time of arthroplasty. There was a significantly higher rate of infection in the renal group compared to the non-renal group (P = 0.022). There was also a higher overall complication rate in the renal group however this did not reach significance.