Influence of environmental temperature and humidity on the incidence of prosthetic joint infections.

Abstract

Background: Prosthetic Joint Infections (PJI) are associated with significant morbidity and mortality, underscoring the importance of identifying the related risk factors. The objective of the present study was to evaluate whether environmental factors were correlated with an increase in PJI.

Material and method: Retrospective cohort study of 1847 consecutive hip and knee prosthesis surgeries performed at a single center over a 10-year period. All patients who underwent surgery during this period were included, with a minimum follow-up of 2 years. The association between infection cases and environmental temperature and humidity was analyzed for both the day of surgical intervention and the week following the procedure.

Results: Sixty-three cases of infection (3.4%) were identified. No statistically significant differences were observed in the infection rate according to the month (p=0.13) or season (p=0.42) in which the surgery was performed. Furthermore, no significant association was found between the incidence of PJI and the average temperature or humidity on the day or week following the prosthesis implantation.

Conclusions: Environmental temperature and humidity do not influence the incidence of PJI in regions with an oceanic climate. The increase in PJI according to environmental conditions is primarily observed in large-scale studies based on national registries.