Correlation And Analysis Of Skin Temperature Of Knee For Post Total Knee Arthroplasty

Objective: To explore the trend and regularity of the temperature around the incision after knee arthroplasty in this region,and to reveal the relationship between the change of skin temperature and the related laboratory infection index.Methods: It was monitored on 1 day before TKA(total knee arthroplasty)surgery,postoperative day 1,day 3,day 5,day 7,day 12,day 14,week 4,week 12,week 24 and week 48 that patients’ body temperature.We monitored the changes of C-reactive protein(CRP),erythrocyte sedimentation rate(ESR)、Interleukelin-6(IL-6)、procalcitonin(PCT)on the preoperative day and the postoperative day 1,day 3,day 5,day 7,week 4,week 12,week 24.Results: There was a statistic significant difference(P<0.05)between 1 day before TKA surgery and postoperative day 1 in term of temperature around the incision after total knee arthroplasty.There were statistic significant differences(P <0.05)at day 3,day5,day 7,day 14,week 4,week 12 and week 24 post-TKA.This study shows that skin temperature of knee post total knee arthroplasty was higher than that before surgery.The temperature in incision region of knee is higher than other non-surgical knee.The difference knee skin temperature is greatest between day 3 and day 7 post-TKA.Further,the difference in temperature between two knees decrease gradually as time goes by.There is no obvious difference between two knee skin temperature 24 week post-TKA and no difference 48 week post-TKA.CRP,ESR,IL-6 and PCT elevate once post-operation,although they need different period of time to reach their peak value.However,the plasma CRP,ESR,IL-6 and PCT concentration were significantly elevated at day 3 to day 7 post operation and decreased to normal 24 week post-TKA.Conclusion: The temperature of operated knee skin was increased due to TKA surgery.As postoperative inflammatory reaction gradually dissipated,there is no difference skin temperature between surgical knee and contralateral non-surgical knee.Post-TKA,plasma CRP,ESR,IL-6 and PCT concentration and skin temperature elevated levels are fluctuated in the same pattern.As for those cases that temperature knee skin post-TKA were higher than that of this study,it should alert the doctors in case of post-surgery infection.