The association between diabetes status and postoperative complications for patients receiving ACL reconstruction

• Published in: European journal of orthopaedic surgery & traumatology 2023-07, Vol.33 (5), p.1607-1612
• Main Authors: Manzi, Joseph E., Quan, Theodore, Cantu, Nicholas, Chen, Frank R., Corrado, Colleen, Gu, Alex, Tabaie, Sean, Doerre, Teresa, Best, Matthew J.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Diabetes; Hospitals; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Original Article; Patients; Postoperative period; Surgical Orthopedics; Traumatic Surgery
• ISSN: 1432-1068; 1633-8065; 1432-1068
• DOI: 10.1007/s00590-022-03316-w

Purpose It is well established that diabetes is associated with complications following surgical procedures across the wide array of surgical subspecialties. The evidence on the effect of diabetes on postoperative outcomes following anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction (ACLR), however, is not as robust, and findings have not been consistent. It was hypothesized that patients with diabetes are at increased risk of complications and a higher rate of hospital admission following ACLR. Methods The National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database was queried for patients undergoing ACL reconstruction from 2006 to 2019. Two patient cohorts were defined in this retrospective study: patients with diabetes and patients without diabetes. The various patient demographics, medical comorbidities, and postoperative outcomes were compared between the two groups, with the use of bivariate and multivariate analyses. Results Of 9,576 patients who underwent ACL reconstruction, 9,443 patients (98.6%) did not have diabetes, whereas 133 patients (1.4%) had diabetes. Following adjustment on multivariate analyses, compared to non-diabetic patients, those with diabetes had an increased risk of admission to the hospital within thirty days of the surgery (OR 2.14; p  = 0.002). Conclusion Patients with diabetes have a significantly higher risk of being admitted to the hospital compared to those without the disease. Clinicians should be aware of diabetic patients who undergo ACLR to ensure appropriate pre- and postoperative care to minimize complications in this patient population.