Antibiotic Prophylaxis Prior to Dental Procedures After Total Hip and Knee Arthroplasty Does Not Decrease the Risk of Periprosthetic Joint Infection.

Background: Periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) is a devastating complication after total hip and total knee arthroplasty (THA/TKA). While some guidelines no longer recommend routine use of prophylactic antibiotics for dental procedures, many surgeons continue to prescribe antibiotics for their THA/TKA patients. In a setting of increasing antibiotic resistance, it is important to reduce unnecessary antibiotic use. This study aims to evaluate antibiotics prior to dental procedures and the association between dental procedures and PJI.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of patients who underwent THA/TKA between January 1, 2019 and December 31, 2020. The primary outcome was late-presenting PJI, occurring > 90 days after surgery. Patients were designated in the antibiotic group (2,000 mg of amoxicillin) or non-antibiotic group based on their surgeon's prophylaxis protocol. Dental-associated PJIs were considered if the patient had evidence of poor dentition or a recent dental procedure prior to the onset of PJI symptoms.

Results: There were 2,871 (26.4%) patients in the no antibiotics group and 8,023 (73.6%) patients in the antibiotics group. We found 27 (0.3%) late-presenting PJIs and 4 dental-associated PJIs. In the univariate and multivariable analyses, body mass index ≥-30 and revision surgery were the only variables that increased the odds of late-presenting PJI. All 4 dental-associated PJIs occurred in patients prescribed antibiotics.

Conclusions: We found a low rate of late-presenting PJI. Routine antibiotics prior to dental procedures were not shown to affect the risk of late-presenting PJI. These findings suggest that routine antibiotic prophylaxis before dental procedures is not necessary after THA/TKA.