Evaluation of surgical site infections and their incidence in patients after total knee arthroplasty at a tertiary care hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Objectives: Superficial surgical site infections (SSI) are a well-documented complication after total knee arthroplasty (TKA). The main objective of this research was to investigate the incidence of SSIs in patients who underwent a TKA and whether it is correlated with comorbidities, length of stay, and postoperative care. This will provide valuable insight into local infection rates as there is a lack of literature in this area. Methods: This is a retrospective chart review at a tertiary care hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. All patients from January 2016 to December 2018 undergoing TKA were included. We excluded patients with a history of infection, Tumor, or cases where surgical intervention was needed due to deeper infection. Data were collected for patients' demographic variables, length of hospital stay, comorbidities, site of infection, and then assessed whether it affects the rate of SSI in TKA. Results: A total of 735 had TKA. Of these, 558 patients (75.9%) were females . The most prevalent comorbidity was obesity (80.3%), followed by hypertension (63.3%). A rate of 1.5% (11 cases) of SSIs was found with no correlation to the length of hospital stay, comorbidities, and site of infection. Methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus and methicillin-resistant S. aureus were the most common organisms found in cultures. Conclusion: This study shows comparable incidence rates of SSIs following TKA to the published literature. It provides important regional data about the rate of SSIs, common organisms, and patient variables to aid future research.