HIGHER RISK OF COMPLICATIONS AFTER TOTAL KNEE ARTHROPLASTY IN OCTOGENARIANS

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic Surgery
• Geriatric Medicine
• Patient Safety

Background:

• Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is a common procedure for knee osteoarthritis.
• Octogenarian patients represent a growing demographic undergoing elective orthopedic surgery.
• Assessing risks specific to elderly populations is crucial for surgical decision-making.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the complication rate of TKA in octogenarian patients.
• To identify independent risk factors associated with TKA complications in this age group.
• To inform risk assessment and perioperative management for elderly TKA candidates.

Main Methods:

• A case-control study comparing 70 octogenarian patients with 70 non-octogenarian controls undergoing TKA.
• Analysis of medical records for complications within the first postoperative year.
• Evaluation of potential risk factors including age, sex, race, ASA score, BMI, smoking, hypertension, and diabetes.

Main Results:

• The complication rate in octogenarians was significantly higher (34.3%) compared to the control group (7.1%).
• Age was identified as an independent risk factor for postoperative complications after TKA.
• No significant association was found between complications and sex, skin color, or specific comorbidities.

Conclusions:

• Octogenarian patients experience a substantially elevated incidence of postoperative complications following TKA.
• The findings highlight the increased surgical risk in elderly TKA patients.
• This evidence supports the need for careful perioperative risk assessment and management in octogenarians.