Collaborative Guideline Addresses the Perioperative Use of Antirheumatic Drug Therapy

Conclusion: This guideline should help decision making by clinicians and patients regarding perioperative antirheumatic medication management at the time of elective THA or TKA. These conditional recommendations reflect the paucity of high-quality direct randomized controlled trial data.

Excerpted and adapted from:

Goodman SM, Springer B, Guyatt G, et al. 2017 American College of Rheumatology/American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons guideline for the perioperative management of antirheumatic medication in patients with rheumatic diseases undergoing elective total hip or total knee arthroplasty. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2017 Aug;69(8):1538–1551.

Hip and knee replacements—despite advancement in treatments for rheumatic diseases, some patients will still need to undergo these surgeries. Here are insights into the considerations, costs and complications of total joint arthroplasty.

Resurfacing procedure preserves bone, lasts longer, allows patients higher level of functionality

The 2017 recommendations are updated to reflect changes in medical literature, as well as to include newly approved drugs.

A 65-year-old woman was referred by an orthopedist to a rheumatologist for left knee pain. Previously, in 2014, she underwent left total knee arthroplasty (TKA) for severe osteoarthritis in a different institution. Following the procedure, she experienced severe chronic anterolateral knee pain at rest, exacerbated by walking. Because she was rendered wheelchair bound and required…

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