Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40732199›Full record

ArticleMicroorganisms2025

Microbiological Sampling in Total Knee Arthroplasty After Post-Traumatic Osteoarthritis: Rate of Periprosthetic Joint Infection and the Debate Around Sampling Unremarkable Tissue.

Felix Erne, Leonard Grünwald, Tina Histing, Philipp Hemmann

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Microorganisms, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Peri-implant soft tissue colonization after osteosynthesis in asymptomatic patients: a prospective study.European journal of orthopaedic surgery & traumatology : orthopedie traumatologie · 2026
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Felix ErneSiegfried Weller Research Institute, BG Unfallklinik Tuebingen, Department of Trauma and Reconstructive Surgery, Eberhard Karls University Tuebingen, Schnarrenbergstr. 95, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany.ORCID 0000-0002-0877-9018
Leonard GrünwaldBG Unfallklinik Tuebingen, Department of Trauma and Reconstructive Surgery, Eberhard Karls University Tuebingen, Schnarrenbergstr. 95, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany.ORCID 0000-0003-3516-8906
Tina HistingBG Unfallklinik Tuebingen, Department of Trauma and Reconstructive Surgery, Eberhard Karls University Tuebingen, Schnarrenbergstr. 95, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany.
Philipp HemmannBG Unfallklinik Tuebingen, Department of Trauma and Reconstructive Surgery, Eberhard Karls University Tuebingen, Schnarrenbergstr. 95, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany.ORCID 0000-0002-0535-5359

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundProximal tibial fractures can lead to post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA), and subsequent total knee arthroplasty (TKA) in such patients is associated with elevated complication rates. A two-stage approach, involving the elective removal of osteosynthetic hardware prior to TKA, is recommended. The utility of microbiological sampling from macroscopically unremarkable tissue during TKA implantation remains controversial.

objectiveTo retrospectively evaluate the rate of periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) following TKA after PTOA and to assess the potential benefit of intraoperative microbiological sampling. The secondary objective was to evaluate the presence of prior colonization in osteosynthetic hardware among the affected cases. PATIENTS AND

methodsA retrospective screening of the hospital database was conducted between 2008 and 2022, including only AO/OTA type 41-B and 41-C fractures. Patients were assigned to a sampling group (with microbiological sampling during TKA) or a control group (without sampling). All patients received structured follow-up to assess postoperative complications.

resultsA total of 40 patients met the screening criteria. In the sampling group ( DISCUSSION: TKA in patients with PTOA is associated with a heightened risk of complications. A noteworthy possible correlation between systematic microbiological sampling and reduced PJI incidence was observed. While the small sample size limits definitive conclusions regarding causality, the findings support the potential value of consistent intraoperative sampling.

Indexed as

biofilmdevice-related infectionsimplantsjoint infectionskneeosteoarthritisperiprosthetic joint infectionprosthesistotal knee arthroplastytraumatology

Identifiers

PMID40732199
PMCPMC12299858

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.