Findings from a study published in the Feb. 15 issue of The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery suggest that smokers may be at increased risk of reoperation for infection following total joint arthroplasty (TJA). 

The authors reviewed data on 15,264 TJA patients (17,394 procedures), of whom 1,371 (9.0 percent) were current smokers, 5,195 (34.0 percent) were former smokers, and 8,698 (57.0 percent) were nonsmokers. Overall, former smokers reported a median of 22.2 years (range, 0.2 to 60 years) of abstaining from smoking prior to the surgical procedure. The authors found that current smokers were significantly more likely than nonsmokers to undergo reoperation for infection, while former smokers were at no increased risk. However, the number of cigarette packs smoked per decade was independently associated with an increased risk of 90-day nonoperative readmission regardless of smoking status. Learn more... or Read full article...