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Table 3 Complications by severity and type (includes complications during acute admission and follow-up to 6 months post-surgery)

From: Complications to 6 months following total hip or knee arthroplasty: observations from an Australian clinical outcomes registry

 

Hip

N = 2782

Knee

N = 5662

Major

263 (9.5)

815 (14.4)

Mortality

5 (0.2)

14 (0.2)

Reoperation

55 (2.0)

144 (2.5)

Arthroplasty-related readmission

109 (3.9)

342 (6.0)

Dislocation

11 (0.4)

4 (0.1)

Fracture

31 (1.1)

21 (0.4)

DVT

21 (0.8)

102 (1.8)

PE

10 (0.4)

33 (0.6)

Surgical site infection requiring:

  

Oral antibiotics

45 (1.6)

237 (4.2)

IV antibiotics

6 (0.2)

13 (0.2)

Cardiovascular

45 (1.6)

107 (1.9)

Stroke

1 (0)

1 (0)

Minor

947 (34.0)

2637 (46.6)

Bladder infection or retention

78 (2.8)

133 (2.3)

Respiratory infection

29 (1)

42 (0.7)

Cellulitis

13 (0.5)

50 (0.9)

Nerve injury/ neuropathy

23 (0.8)

71 (1.3)

Deliriuma

24 (0.9)

51 (0.9)

Wound dehiscencea

9 (0.3)

34 (0.6)

Pressure areaa

1 (0)

3 (0.1)

Fall during hospital staya

3 (0.1)

23 (0.4)

Hypotensiona

48 (1.7)

43 (0.8)

Drug reactiona

0

2 (0)

Fat embolusa

0

1 (0)

Othera

97 (3.5)

238 (4.2)

Joint stiffnessb

244 (8.8)

1045 (18.5)

Unexpected painb

153 (5.5)

555 (9.8)

Leg length discrepancyb

197 (7.1)

84 (1.5)

Swellingb

129 (4.6)

881 (15.6)

Paraesthesiab

149 (5.4)

885 (15.6)

Muscle weaknessb

64 (2.3)

123 (2.2)

Total (major and minor)

1103 (39.7)

3033 (53.6)

  1. a Acute admission only
  2. b Post-discharge only