OBJECTIVETo determine the postoperative complications of primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA) within 30 postoperative days, and the different causes for revision surgery during follow-up.

METHODSBetween January 2001 and December 2012, a total of 1 920 patients underwent 2 779 primary TKA with fixed bearing platform in Peking Union Medical College Hospital, with 323 for male and 1 607 for female. The revision surgery at index time and the hemophiliac arthropathy were excluded for this study. The average age was (66 ± 9) years (from 25 to 86 years).Osteoarthritis accounted for 1 720 cases (89.58%), rheumatoid arthritis for 168 cases (8.75%), ankylosing spondylitis for 12 cases (0.63%), secondary arthritis for 20 cases (1.04%). The postoperative complications with 30 postoperative days and revision surgery during follow-up were recorded.

RESULTSFollow-up was concluded at December 2013. Totally, 1 854 patients (2 693 knees) were successfully followed-up.Forty-one patients experienced systemic complication within 30 postoperative days, with the rate of 2.21%. The most common reasons of systemic complication were the respiratory complication and cardiovascular complication in origin, with the rate of 0.49% (9/1 854) and 0.38% (7/1 854) respectively. The average rate of deep venous thrombosis in this group was 3.02% (56/1 854). The local complication rate within 30 days was 1.29% in this group. Totally 59 knees experienced the revision surgeries during average 67 months follow-up. The most common causes for revision surgery in relative values were septic loosening, with the rate of 1.19% (32 in 2 693 knees), followed by postoperative stiffness, with the rate of 0.37% (10 in 2 693 knees).

CONCLUSIONSThe most common reasons of systemic complication with 30 postoperative days after primary TKA procedure are the respiratory complication and cardiovascular complication in origin. The most common reason for revision surgery during mid-term follow-up for primary TKA is septic loosening.