C-reactive Protein Levels After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic Surgery
• Biochemistry
• Clinical Diagnostics

Background:

• C-reactive protein (CRP) is a key inflammatory marker.
• Understanding normal CRP kinetics post-Anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) is crucial for differentiating infection from expected inflammatory responses.
• Septic arthritis is a serious complication following ACLR.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish standard C-reactive protein (CRP) level changes following Anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR).
• To identify factors influencing postoperative CRP levels after ACLR.
• To provide a benchmark for early detection of complications like septic arthritis.

Main Methods:

• Prospective, two-center comparative study.
• Inclusion of 439 Asian patients undergoing ACLR.
• CRP levels measured preoperatively and at 1, 7, and 14 days postoperatively.

Main Results:

• Mean CRP increased from 0.06 mg/dl preoperatively to 0.54 mg/dl at 1 day, peaked at 0.92 mg/dl at 7 days, and decreased to 0.23 mg/dl at 14 days.
• Multivariate analysis showed sex, BMI, and facility influenced CRP at 1 day post-ACLR.
• Sex, BMI, and age affected CRP at 7 days post-ACLR, while only sex impacted levels at 14 days.

Conclusions:

• This study establishes normative CRP trends after ACLR in a large cohort.
• Identified demographic and surgical factors (sex, age, BMI, facility) significantly influence postoperative CRP levels.
• These findings aid in the clinical interpretation of CRP values to rule out complications such as septic arthritis.