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. 1994 Aug;309(6953):506-8.
doi: 10.1136/bmj.309.6953.506.

Relation between mouth and haematogenous infection in total joint replacements

C A Bartzokas  1 , R Johnson, M Jane, M V Martin, P K Pearce, Y Saw
Affiliations

Relation between mouth and haematogenous infection in total joint replacements

C A Bartzokas et al. BMJ. 1994 Aug.

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the source of infections associated with orthopaedic prostheses.

Design: Analysis of four infections of prosthetic joints with case records; minimum inhibitory and minimum bactericidal concentrations and sodium dodecylsulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the cell wall polypeptides of the Streptococcus sanguis isolates from the mouth and infected prostheses; examination of the patients' mouths for periodontal disease and caries.

Subjects: Four adults (three men) aged 58-83.

Results: For each patient the strain of S sanguis isolated from the mouth was indistinguishable from that isolated from the prosthesis. All patients had severe periodontal disease and caries.

Conclusions: The mouth was probably the source of bacterial infection in the prosthetic joints of these patients; the route of infection was possibly haematogenous. Incipient oral infection should be treated before joint replacement, and oral health should be maintained indefinitely.

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