The incidence of postoperative urinary retention in patients undergoing elective hip and knee arthroplasty

摘要

IntroductionPostoperative urinary retention requiring urethral catheterisation increases the risk of joint sepsis following arthroplasty. Spinal anaesthesia with opiate administration is used widely in lower limb arthroplasty. We sought to establish whether the choice of opiate agent had any effect on the incidence of postoperative retention and therefore the risk of joint sepsis.