The Journal of arthroplasty
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The diagnosis of periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) remains difficult, particularly in acute postoperative stage. The purpose of this study was to investigate the optimal cutoff value of synovial white blood cell (WBC) count, percentage of polymorphonuclear cells, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and C-reactive protein (CRP) for diagnosing early postoperative infection after knee joint arthroplasty. ⋯ Synovial WBC count and CRP levels are useful in diagnosing acute PJI between 1 and 3 weeks after primary knee arthroplasty.
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Venous thromboembolism (VTE), including pulmonary embolism (PE) and deep vein thrombosis, is a serious complication after total joint arthroplasty (TJA). Risk assessment models are increasingly used to provide patient-specific risk stratification. A recently implemented protocol mandates calculation of a Caprini Score for all surgical patients at our institution. We investigated the accuracy of the Caprini Score in predicting VTE events following TJA. ⋯ The Caprini risk assessment model does not appear to provide clinically useful risk stratification for TJA patients. Alternative risk stratification protocols may provide assistance in balancing safety and efficacy of thromboprophylaxis.