Preoperative corticosteroid injections are associated with a higher periprosthetic infection rate following primary total shoulder arthroplasty: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

BackgroundCorticosteroid injections (CSI) are commonly used for the treatment of shoulder pain in patients with osteoarthritis (OA) and rotator cuff arthropathy (RCA). These injections may increase the risk of infection following eventual shoulder arthroplasty. PurposeThe purpose of this study was to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of existing data to explore the relationship between preoperative CSI’s and postoperative periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) following shoulder arthroplasty. MethodsA literature search was performed on PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science databases through September 29, 2023. Of the 4,221 retrieved, 7 studies including 136,233 patients were included for qualitative analysis. Studies describing patients receiving CSI prior to shoulder arthroplasty and the effect on postoperative infection risk were included in the systematic review and subsequent meta-analysis. Assessment of risk of bias was performed using the Methodological Index for Non-Randomized Studies (MINORS) criteria. ResultsReceiving a corticosteroid injection prior to shoulder arthroplasty was found to have a statistically significant association with increased risk for PJI (OR: 1.13. 95%; CI: 1.06-1.19; p < 0.0001). The rate of PJI increased when injections were given closer to the time of surgery. Patients who received an injection at any time point before surgery had a 5.4% risk of PJI compared to 7.9% and 9.0% in patients receiving an injection within 3 months and 1 month of surgery respectively. This time dependent association however did not reach statistical significance: 1 month OR 1.48; 95% Cl: 0.86-2.53; p = 0.16, 3 months OR 1.95; 95% Cl: 0.95-4.00; p = 0.07. ConclusionThe results of this systematic review and meta-analysis demonstrate that patients receiving corticosteroid shoulder injections prior to shoulder arthroplasty may be at an increased risk for prosthetic joint infection postoperatively. While time dependent stratification did not reach statistical significance, our findings indicate a clear trend of increased risk for patients receiving injections closer to surgery.