Temporomandibular total joint prosthesis infections: a ten-year retrospective analysis

A retrospective review of 178 total temporomandibular joint replacements (TJR) performed on 106 patients at the University of Alabama at Birmingham during the years 2000-2010 was completed. Data regarding sex, past medical history, prosthesis manufacturer, microbiology, antibiotic therapy, and the need for additional procedures were obtained from the medical records of patients who developed a prosthetic joint infection following TJR. Of the 106 patients, 95 (89.6%) were female and 11 (10.4%) were male. The average age of the patients was 47 years (range 19-68 years). Sixty patients underwent bilateral TJR. The average length of follow-up was 41 months. Of the 178 TJR performed, eight joints (4.5%) developed an infection of the prosthesis, all requiring removal despite antibiotic therapy. The average time to onset of infection was 14.3 months (range 6 days to 72 months), while the average time to removal of the prosthesis was 26.9 months (range 10 weeks to 84 months). Microbiology data from the infected joints revealed colonization with coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (4/8 joints) and Propionibacterium (2/8 joints), as well as Serratia and Peptostreptococcus species. Three of the prostheses had negative cultures.