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Updated: Jun 21, 2026
Knee Arthrocentesis in Adults
Published on: February 25, 2022
Serum concentrations of interleukin-6 in patients following unilateral versus bilateral total knee arthroplasty
Hajime Kugisaki1, Motoki Sonohata, Mitsunori Komine
1Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Saga University, 5-1-1 Nabeshima, Saga, Japan.
Background:
Surgical stress is known to affect body temperature, white blood cell (WBC) count, C-reactive protein (CRP), and interleukin-6 (IL-6). The aim of the present study was to investigate which parameter is most suitable for quantitative analysis of surgical stress.
Methods:
Unilateral total knee arthroplasty (U-TKA) and bilateral TKA (B-TKA) were selected for the subjects of this study because the B-TKA creates approximately double the surgical stress of the U-TKA. The temperature, WBC count, CRP, and IL-6 in the blood were measured pre- and postoperatively in both groups. The IL-6 in the drainage fluid was also measured after the operation.
Results:
The temperature, WBC count, CRP, and IL-6 in the blood significantly increased on the first day after the operation in both groups. There were significant differences between the two groups in the WBC count (P < 0.05) and the IL-6 level in the blood (P < 0.05) on the first day after the surgery. There were no significant differences between the two groups for the CRP and IL-6 levels in the drainage fluid. The relative proportions--(B-TKA/U-TKA) x 100 (%)--were 170.4% for the operating time, 219.4 % for total blood loss, 200.0% for blood transfusion, 100.3% for temperature, 128.9% for WBC count, 127.4% for CRP, and 246.5% for the IL-6 level in the blood.
Conclusions:
The serum IL-6 level may best reflect surgical stress and could therefore be a quantitative marker of surgical stress.
