30 Apr 2025 • Post-operative urinary retention (POUR) is becoming increasingly common following primary total knee arthroplasty (pTKA), with incidence rising from 1.51% in 2005 to 2.29% in 2014, according to a large U.S. study of over 1.2 million patients.

Though POUR did not increase inpatient mortality, it was associated with serious complications such as acute myocardial infarction (0.80% vs. 0.42%), deep venous thrombosis (0.71% vs. 0.45%), acute posthemorrhagic anemia (28.89% vs. 19.45%), and acute renal failure (6.06% vs. 1.49%).

Risk predictors of POUR included male sex (OR 3.40), fluid and electrolyte disorders (OR 2.02), age over 60 (OR 1.97), paralysis (OR 1.78), and psychoses (OR 1.57). Patients with POUR also had higher comorbidity scores and medical costs.

These findings underscore the need for early identification of high-risk individuals and preventive strategies to improve postoperative outcomes following knee replacement.

Source: BMC Surgery | Read Full Story