In patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), persistent joint activity and treatment with glucocorticoids are associated with musculoskeletal complications. About 30% of these patients become candidates for surgical treatment. The aim of this study was to evaluate postoperative outcomes after total hip arthroplasty (THA) in SLE patients.

We performed a retrospective cohort study at a tertiary care center in Mexico City between 1995 and 2013. All patients with SLE who underwent THA during that period were included (n = 58). They were compared with 2 control groups, one from another inflammatory arthropathy (rheumatoid arthritis, n = 58) and other noninflammatory (osteoarthritis, n = 58), matched by gender and date of surgery. The primary outcome was the frequency of postoperative complications during follow-up.

We included 174 patients who underwent THA during the study period. Patients with SLE were younger (P < .0001), had a longer hospitalization stay (P = .001), and required more transfusions (P = .004). Global complications in THA in patients with SLE were more prevalent than rheumatoid arthritis (36.2% vs 15.5%, P = .029) and osteoarthritis (36.2% vs 5.1%, P < .0001) patients. After multivariate analysis, risk factors for THA complications were: SLE (hazard ratio 2.8, 95% confidence interval 1.2-6.8; P = .018) and low postoperative hemoglobin (hazard ratio 0.77, 95% confidence interval 0.73-0.83; P < .0001). Long-term complications after THA were similar among groups.

This is the largest single-center study regarding clinical outcomes after THA in SLE patients. Our data suggest that SLE is an independent risk factor for adverse postoperative outcomes, mainly immediate complications, but the long-term outcome is good enough to offer surgical treatment that will improve quality of life.