Increased Mortality and Reoperation Rates After Treatment for Septic Arthritis of the Knee in People Who Inject Drugs: Nationwide Inpatient Sample, 2000-2013.

Background: The United States has a growing opioid epidemic impacting all aspects of health care including orthopaedic surgery. Septic arthritis of the knee is a condition commonly encountered by orthopaedic surgeons related to opioid and injection drug use (IDU). Changes in the frequency of hospitalizations for IDU-related septic arthritis and differences in septic arthritis patient outcomes according to IDU status in the setting of the burgeoning opioid epidemic are unknown.