Long-Term Risk of Prosthetic Joint Infection in Patients With Hypoalbuminemia Following Hip or Knee Arthroplasty

Background: Arthroplasty literature describes preoperative hypoalbuminemia as a risk factor for perioperative complications. A correlation between low postoperative albumin levels and acute infection-related complications has been studied in cardiothoracic and abdominal surgery. We aim to further characterize postoperative hypoalbuminemia, independent of preoperative albumin level, as a risk factor for long-term complications in arthroplasty, specifically knee and hip periprosthetic joint infections (PJIs). Methods: The TriNetX database was queried for patients undergoing primary or revision hip or knee arthroplasty from January 1, 2000 to January 1, 2024. Cohorts were defined as patients with normal postoperative albumin levels (≥3.5 g/dL) and those with postoperative hypoalbuminemia (