According to a recent study conducted by Indian experts, diabetes may raise the risk of blood clots and infections following knee replacement surgery in addition to causing joint pain that can seriously harm your knee.

A hip or knee arthroplasty (joint replacement surgery) may be necessary in the future for almost half of diabetics who also have arthropathy, a disease or condition affecting a joint.

Diabetes is a major risk factor for joint infection after total knee arthroplasty (TKA), a common and successful procedure for patients with severe knee arthritis, according to a study conducted by experts from Vardhman Medical College & Safdarjung Hospital in New Delhi.

Another serious postoperative complication following total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is deep vein thrombosis (DVT), also known as blood clots, which can result in pulmonary embolism, which is a blood clot that blocks the pulmonary arteries in the lungs.

The illness may lead to higher rates of morbidity and death.

According to the researchers, who included representatives from Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals and Fortis C-Doc Hospital, “the presence of diabetes significantly impacts post-TKA outcomes, leading to higher complication rates and negatively affecting physical function and quality of life.”

Diabetics on insulin have a 60% increased risk of perioperative complications. According to the Journal of Orthopaedics article, “poor sugar control around TKA surgery worsens outcomes.”

According to the results of systematic reviews and meta-analyses, diabetics undergoing total knee arthroplasty (TKA) have a 45 percent increased risk of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and a 43 percent increased risk of periprosthetic joint infection (PJI).

Hospital readmission rates increased by 28%, which was a considerable rise. The incidence of perioperative adverse events was 60% higher in those with diabetes managed with insulin.

To improve preoperative risk classification and management options for diabetic patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty (TKA), the researchers urged more thorough research to develop standardized definitions for glycemic control and to look into processes that contribute to elevated risks.