C-Reactive Protein in Orthopaedic Surgery.

Area of Science:

• Biochemistry
• Clinical Medicine
• Orthopaedic Surgery

Background:

• C-reactive protein (CRP) is a widely used laboratory marker for infection and inflammation.
• It is frequently employed across various medical departments, including orthopaedics, for diagnostic and monitoring purposes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the utility of C-reactive protein (CRP) as an infection marker in orthopaedic surgery.
• To assess CRP's role in diagnosing early postoperative infections, monitoring surgical trauma, and risk stratification.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of CRP levels in patients undergoing orthopaedic procedures.
• Correlation of CRP concentrations with surgical trauma, complications, and bacterial infections.
• Comparison of CRP with other inflammatory markers like White Blood Cell count (WBC) and Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR).

Main Results:

• CRP is superior to conventional infection parameters and serves as a basic inflammatory marker.
• A peak CRP level typically occurs on the second or third postoperative day, reflecting surgical trauma.
• A secondary rise in CRP post-surgery suggests a complication, with significantly elevated levels indicating bacterial infection (cut-off ~10 mg/dl).
• CRP also functions as a preoperative risk stratification marker and an independent fracture-risk factor.

Conclusions:

• C-reactive protein is a significant and common inflammatory parameter in orthopaedic surgery, often more informative than WBC or ESR.
• CRP is particularly helpful for early detection of postoperative infections.
• CRP results must always be correlated with clinical findings for accurate patient assessment.