Identifying 10-year cumulative incidence and risk of revision following total hip arthroplasty in patients with and without a diagnosis of human immunodeficiency virus

Introduction: Prior studies have shown human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) may be a risk factor for early revision following THA, but little data exists looking at long-term implant survivorship. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to compare the 10-year cumulative incidence rate for revision following THA in patients with and without HIV.

Methods: A retrospective cohort analysis of patients with HIV undergoing elective THA was conducted using a national database. Patients were stratified into asymptomatic HIV (AHIV) and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) cohorts. These patients were propensity-score matched to a group of elective THA patients without HIV based on age, gender, and Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) at a 1:2 ratio. Kaplan-Meier and Cox Proportional Hazards Regression Analyses were used to assess cumulative incidence and risk of revisions within 10-years of the index procedure.

Results: In total, 678 patients were at-risk at the 10-year mark. There were no differences in 10-year risk of revision THA, amongst patients with HIV when compared to matched and unmatched controls (p > 0.05 for all). Patients with HIV did have an increased risk of periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) following THA when compared to the unmatched control (p = 0.001).

Discussion: Surgeons and patients can be reassured of comparable 10-year revision rates in patients with and without HIV. However, as these patients are at increased risk for PJI and PPF, especially those with AIDS, when compared to the general population, surgeons should consider PJI prophylactic modalities in this patient population.