Total Hip Arthroplasty Patients With Systemic Sclerosis Have Worse Medical Outcomes But Clinically Similar Implant Survival Independent of Immunomodulatory Therapy.

Abstract

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a multisystem autoimmune disorder characterized by fibrosis and often early articular degeneration. Total hip arthroplasty (THA) is a procedure for which SSc patients may be considered. However, outcomes past hospital discharge and the association of exposure to common immunomodulatory therapy (IMT) agents on such outcomes remain unknown. Retrospective cohort study of SSc patients who underwent THA. Patients with SSc were matched in 4:1 ratio with (-)SSc controls based on age, sex, and Elixhauser Comorbidity Index. Incidence of 90-day medical and implant-related adverse events (AEs) were assessed by multivariable logistic regression, and 5-year revision was assessed by Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and log-rank test. SSc patients undergoing THA demonstrated greater odds ratio (OR) of severe (OR 1.46) and minor AEs (OR 1.47; P < 0.001 for both). However, perioperative IMT utilization was not associated with notable modification of these odds (P > 0.05 for both). SSc patients demonstrated similar odds of 90-day implant-related AEs (P > 0.05 for all) and similar 5-year revision-free survival vs (-)SSc controls (97.3% vs. 96.6%, respectively; P = 0.200). Patients with SSc undergoing THA experience increased 90-day medical AEs, independent of IMT utilization. Encouragingly, SSc patients demonstrated similar 90-day implant-related AEs and 5-year revision-free survival, suggesting that the major barrier to superior outcomes may not be implant related but rather driven by medical complications.