Diagnostic value of albumin/fibrinogen ratio and C-reactive protein/albumin/globulin ratio for periprosthetic joint infection: a retrospective study.

Background: The study aims to explore diagnostic value of albumin/fibrinogen ratio (AFR) and C-reactive protein (CRP)/albumin (ALB)/globulin (GLO) ratio (CAGR) for periprosthetic joint infection (PJI). Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on clinical data collected from 190 patients who had joint replacement surgery in Qilu Hospital of Shandong University (Qingdao), from January 2017 to December 2022. Based on the occurrence of PJI after surgery, patients were divided as an infection group (10 cases) and non-infection group (180 cases). Diagnostic indicators were analyzed, univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were further performed to identify factors related to PJI. Sensitivity and specificity of AFR and CAGR, both individually and in combination, were calculated using ROC curves, and their diagnostic performance was compared based on the area under the curve (AUC). Results: Levels of CRP, ESR, FIB, GLO, and CAGR were significantly higher in the infection group than in non-infection group (P < 0.05). Levels of ALB and AFR were significantly lower in infection group (P < 0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis reviewed that CRP (OR = 3.324), ESR (OR = 2.118), FIB (OR = 3.142), ALB (OR = 0.449), GLO (OR = 1.985), AFR (OR = 0.587), and CAGR (OR = 2.469) were factors influencing PJI (P < 0.05). The AUC for AFR and CAGR in diagnosing PJI were 0.739 and 0.780, while AUC for their combined detection was 0.858. Conclusion: Abnormal levels of AFR and CAGR are associated with PJI, and their combined use has certain diagnostic value for PJI.

Effects of Knee Debridement with Flurbiprofen on Knee Function, Inflammatory Levels, and Bone Metabolism Activity in Patients with Knee Osteoarthritis.

Objective: The objective of this study is to explore the effects of knee debridement with flurbiprofen on the knee function, inflammatory levels, and bone metabolism activity in patients with knee osteoarthritis. Methods: 110 patients with knee osteoarthritis who underwent arthroscopic debridement in our hospital from 2020.01 to 2022.01 were selected for retrospective analysis. Based on whether or not flurbiprofen was used in combination during the perioperative phase, the patients were divided into the control group (only arthroscopic debridement of the knee) and the research group (flurbiprofen with arthroscopic debridement of the knee), with 55 cases in each group. The indexes such as knee function, inflammatory levels, and bone metabolism activity of the two groups were analyzed. Results: According to hospital for special surgery (HSS) evaluation for knee function, most patients in the control group were assessed as "moderate," while patients in the research group were mainly focused on "excellent" and "good," and their excellent and good rates were remarkably higher than those in the control group (P < 0.05). There were no significant variations in bone metabolism indices such as osteoprotegerin levels (OPG), insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), ß-isomerized C-terminal telopeptide (ß-CTX), and receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand (RANKL) before treatment between both groups (P > 0.05), with higher OPG, IGF-1 levels, and remarkably lower ß-CTX, RANKL levels in the research group than those in the control group after treatment (P < 0.05). There were no remarkable differences in pain between both groups before treatment (P > 0.05), while at 24 h and 48 h after surgery, the VAS scores in the research group were remarkably lower than those in the control group (P < 0.05). In terms of inflammatory factors, the levels of interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in the research group were remarkably lower than those in the control group after treatment (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Arthroscopy coupled with flurbiprofen provides a good analgesic effect in the therapeutic treatment of patients with knee osteoarthritis, which contributes to the recovery of knee function with definite results. Its mechanism may be associated with the control of inflammatory response and the regulation of bone metabolism disorder.