Patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) are living longer and may be considered for total hip arthroplasty (THA) or total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Perioperative outcomes and implant survival after these procedures performed for those with CF have not been previously described.

Using the M151 PearlDiver database, a large, national, administrative database, THA and TKA patients with and without CF were identified and matched 1:10 based on age, sex, and Elixhauser Comorbidity Index. Ninety-day perioperative outcomes and 2-year revision rates were assessed and compared with multivariable logistic regression.

For THA, 185 patients with CF were matched with 1,846 control subjects without CF. Patients with CF were at significantly increased odds of 90-day postoperative events including sepsis (odd radio [OR] 4.15), pneumonia (OR 3.40), pleural effusion (OR 2.77), minor events (OR 1.73), any adverse event (OR 1.64), urinary tract infection (UTI) (OR 1.63), and severe events (OR 1.60) (P < 0.05 for each). For TKA, 505 patients with CF were matched with 5,047 control subjects without CF. Patients with CF were at significantly increased odds of 90-day postoperative events including pneumonia (OR 4.95), respiratory failure (OR 4.31), cardiac event (OR 2.29), minor events (OR 2.16), pleural effusion (OR 2.35), severe events (OR 2.06), urinary tract infection (OR 2.06), any adverse event (OR 1.96), atelectasis (OR 1.94), and acute kidney injury (OR 1.61) (P < 0.05 for each). For both THA and TKA, those with CF were not at greater odds of 2-year rates of revision.

After THA and TKA, those with CF were found to be at increased odds of multiple defined postoperative events (predominantly infectious/pulmonary), but not 2-year revision rates. These findings help define areas in need of focused optimization and are reassuring regarding risks of surgery.