Postoperative Lyme Arthritis in the Orthopaedic Patient

Abstract

Context: Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne illness in North America and Europe, and Lyme arthritis is a frequent late-stage manifestation in the United States. However, Lyme arthritis has rarely been reported as a postoperative complication. Evidence Acquisition: The PubMed database was queried through June 2018, and restricted to the English language, in search of relevant articles. Study Design: Clinical review. Level of Evidence: Level 3. Results: A total of 5 cases of Lyme arthritis as a postoperative complication have been reported in the literature. Conclusion: These cases highlight the importance for providers practicing in Lyme-endemic regions to keep such an infection in mind when evaluating postoperative joint pain and swelling. We propose herein an algorithm for the workup of potential postoperative Lyme arthritis. Strength of Recommendation Taxonomy (SORT): C.