[Infection following shoulder and elbow arthroplasty. Diagnosis and therapy]

The rate of infection reported in recent publications is 0.8% after shoulder arthroplasty and ten times higher (8.1%) after elbow arthroplasty. The figures for shoulder arthroplasty correspond well with our own rate of revision for infection of 0.5% after 363 primary shoulder replacements. However, our average rate of revision for infection (1.8%) after 278 GSB-III elbow arthroplasties was considerably lower and included rheumatoid as well as post-traumatic indications. Our experience concerning etiologic factors, nature, diagnosis, treatment options, and long-term consequences of superficial and deep infections after shoulder and elbow arthroplasty are discussed for each joint separately and in relation to the literature.