Perioperative Ozoralizumab Management for Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis Who Underwent Orthopaedic Surgery: A Retrospective Case Series

<b>Background/Objectives</b>: Launched in Japan in 2022, ozoralizumab (OZR) is a novel, anti-tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α inhibitor for treating rheumatoid arthritis (RA) that is refractory to conventional therapies. However, there is a lack of evidence regarding its perioperative management. <b>Methods</b>: This retrospective case series included nine patients with RA who underwent a total of 12 either RA-related (<i>n</i> = 9) or unrelated (<i>n</i> = 3) orthopaedic procedures. We reviewed patient demographics, surgical procedures, perioperative OZR discontinuation periods, and postoperative complications. <b>Results:</b> The mean preoperative OZR discontinuation period was 15.8 days (range, 2-25 days). Sutures were removed at a mean of 12.8 days postoperatively (range, 11-14 days) after adequate wound healing had been confirmed. The mean total discontinuation period was 34.9 days (range, 27-43 days). No cases of surgical site infection (SSI) or delayed wound healing (DWH) were observed during a minimum follow-up period of three months. One patient experienced a disease flare before OZR was restarted. <b>Conclusions:</b> Preoperative OZR discontinuation for up to four weeks appeared to be safe in this cohort. These findings may assist orthopaedic surgeons in determining an appropriate perioperative discontinuation strategy for OZR that minimises SSI and DWH risk while reducing the likelihood of RA flare.