[1]Department of Bone and Joint, The First Bethune Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China.
BACKGROUND: With the prevalence of total knee arthroplasty, periprosthetic joint infection as a serious complication has been an issue of concern. OBJECTIVE: To summarize the advances in the diagnosis and treatment of infection after total knee arthroplasty. METHODS: The first author searched the PubMed and CNKI databases for the literatures related to the diagnosis and treatment of infection after total knee arthroplasty using the keywords of “total knee arthroplasty, infection” in English and Chinese, respectively. The repetitive articles were excluded, and the risk factors, diagnosis, classification and treatment of infection after total knee arthroplasty were summarized. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: (1) The infection after artificial knee replacement is closely related to the patient’s preoperative condition, operation skills and postoperative status. (2) Diagnosis of infection is based on the detailed understanding of the patients’ situation and complete auxiliary examinations. (3) The treatment methods include antibiotics, debridement and retention, reversion, arthrodesis, as well as amputation. (4) Periprosthetic infection is a serious complication after total knee arthroplasty, and early diagnosis and treatment are critical. Furthermore, choosing an appropriate individualized treatment scheme for different patients is important.