Clinical significance of C-reactive protein level and erythrocyte sedimentation rates before and after total hip and total knee arthroplasty / 中国矫形外科杂志

ABSTRACT

[Objective] To study the clinical significance of the changes of 100 cases C-reactive protein(CRP)values and erythrocyte sedimentation rates(ESR)in patients with primary osteoarthritis before and after total hip and total knee replacement.[Method] A prospective study was designed to observe the changes of CRP leves and ESR in patients with primary osteoarthritis before and at 1~7 days,2 weeks,1,2,3,6,12 months after total hip and total knee arthroplasty.Ninty-two cases received follow-up.There are 35 males and 57 females with average of 64.7 years,ranging from 37 to 92 years.Sixteen had cementless total hip replacement(THR),32 had hybrid THR,7 had cemented THR and 37 underwent cemented to tal knee replacement(TKR).[Result]In both groups serum CRP level increased rapidly after surgery,peaking at day 2(THR 216.7 mg/L,TKR 257.3 mg/L),and dropping gradually to pre-operative values at the end of the first month in THR patients and at the end of the second month in TKR patients.ESR peaked at day 5 and 6 respectively after operation in THR and TKR patients(THR 93.2 mm/h,TKR 95.7 mm/h),dropping to pre-operative values at the end of the third month in THR patients and at the end of the ninth month in TKR patients.[Conclusion]Serum CRP levels changed more rapidly than ESR and returned to normal more rapidly.CRP and ESR values tended to be higher in TKR than in THR patients.CRP can reflect the status of inflammation.Dynamic observation can help diagnoze early infection.