Incidence of Early Post Operative Infection After Primary Total Knee Replacement At A Private Specialist Hospital, Kaduna, North West Nigeria.

Introduction: For most orthopedic surgeons, total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is considered the most effective surgery for patients with severe knee conditions. Although it is rare, surgical site infection (SSI) is a serious complication that can occur after TKA, leading to significant morbidity. To mitigate this risk, various techniques have been established. Thus, prompt and accurate diagnosis is critical in guiding the treatment of these patients. Objective: The study was conducted to determine the incidence of early postoperative infection following primary total knee replacement among patients treated at a private specialist hospital in Kaduna, northwestern Nigeria Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study of all the patients who had total knee arthroplasties at our hospital from 2018 to 2024. Our hospital is a specialist hospital serving patients from all over the country. The patient's record was used for data collection. Data collected were analyzed with Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 25.0 and presented as tables. Results: A total of 28 patients were studied, with a male to female ratio of 1:2. The mean age of the patients was 64.75. Only 2 patients developed infections in the first 30 days postoperatively, resulting in an incidence rate of 7.1%. One patient experienced a superficial infection that was effectively treated with antibiotics and resolved completely without further intervention. The other patient had a deep infection, which required implant removal and arthrodesis, followed by antibiotic therapy. Conclusion: There is an increased risk of early surgical site infection after primary TKR in our setting; however, larger and multi-center studies will be necessary to identify modifiable risk factors.