Evaluation of serum levels of C-reactive protein after total knee arthroplasty.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the behavior of C-reactive protein (CRP) levels in the first three weeks after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and define the factors related to its variation. METHODS: We evaluated the CRP values in 103 patients undergoing primary TKA. Serum CRP was measured on the day before surgery, and on the third and twenty-first days after the procedure. RESULTS: PCR showed sudden increase on the third day after surgery, reaching the mean value of 111.9 mg/L, median 75.9 mg/L. Only one-third of the patients returned to normal levels in the third week. In the immediate postoperative period, CRP was not correlated with body mass index (BMI), age, gender, blood transfusion, or complications. CONCLUSION: Serum CRP remains high in the third week after TKA in most patients, and this change is primarily related to surgical trauma.