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Background. Chronic hemodialysis significantly increases the risks associated with knee replacement. Among the late complications of knee arthroplasty in hemodialysis patients, deep periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) and aseptic loosening are more frequent. The frequency of revision interventions in patients with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) is substantially higher compared to patients with normal kidney function.

The aim of the study — based on the perioperative parameters and midterm outcomes to justify the primary knee replacement in chronic hemodialysis patients as complex case of arthroplasty.

Methods. A retrospective randomized single-center cohort study was conducted, including 62 patients with various forms of knee osteoarthritis. Patients were divided into two groups: Group 1 — 29 (46.8%) patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) undergoing dialysis, Group 2 — 33 (53.2%) patients without kidney pathology. The average follow-up period in both groups was 3.7 years (min — 1, max — 6). The following parameters were assessed: patient age, length of hospital stay, morphocortical index, body mass index (BMI), duration of hemodialysis, functional assessment of the knee joint using the KSS Function Score and Forgotten Joint Score-12 (FJS-12), radiological results on the KRESS, and the frequency of various complications.

Results. In Group 1, patients had significantly lower BMI compared to Group 2. Length of hospital stay in Group 1 were 1.7 times longer. According to the KSS Function Score, no significant differences were observed between the groups in the first 36 months after the operation. However, by the 4th year of follow-up, average KSS Function Score in Group 1 decreased to 77.3 points, which was due to infectious complications. The FJS-12 showed worse scores in Group 2, averaging 68.7 points. After more than three years post-operation, no statistically significant differences were observed between the groups, which was associated with an increase in the number of complications in Group 1. Results on the KRESS after 43 months did not differ between the groups and averaged 4.8 points. Group 1 had more orthopedic complications and cases of PJI, accounting for 7 out of 37.

Conclusion. Age and constitutional characteristics of patients undergoing hemodialysis significantly differ from the normal population. The frequency of complications in Group 1 was 23.5%. These patients require the implantation of more constrained implant components and modular systems. Therefore, primary knee replacement in hemodialysis patients can be classified as a complex case of arthroplasty.