Hidradenitis Suppurativa Leads to Increased Risk of Wound-Related Complications following Total Joint Arthroplasty.

BACKGROUND

Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a skin disorder characterized by inflammatory skin lesions that are most commonly in the inguinal and axillary regions. These skin lesions are common sites of bacterial growth and are thus a potential risk factor for infection following procedures such as total hip arthroplasty (THA) or total knee arthroplasty (TKA).

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Adult patients undergoing THA or TKA for degenerative etiologies were identified from PearlDiver datasets. For THA and TKA, HS patients were matched 1:4 with non-HS patients based on age, sex, and Elixhauser Comorbidity Index. The incidence of 90-day any, severe, minor, and specific adverse events was compiled and compared with multivariate analyses. Five-year revision rates were plotted on Kaplan-Meier survival curves and compared with log-rank tests.

RESULTS

For THA, 331,627 patients were identified, of which HS was noted for 481 patients (0.15%). For TKA, 274,161 patients were identified, of which HS was noted for 290 patients (0.11%). Following THA, HS patients had increased odds of wound dehiscence (odds ratio = 2.55,  = .002). Following TKA, HS patients had increased odds of surgical site infection (odds ratio = 1.95,  = .006). All other 90-day adverse events were not significantly different. There was no significant difference in 5-year implant survival in either procedure.

CONCLUSIONS

HS is a rare but identified comorbidity for those undergoing THA or TKA. Although most 90-day adverse events and 5-year implant survival were similar to those without this condition, specific wound-related issues were elevated by roughly twofold. These findings could help inform patients and surgeons.