J Korean Knee Soc.  2008 Dec;20(2):129-136.

Short-term Results of Two-stage Reimplantation Using Antibiotic-loaded Articulating Cement Spacer in Infected Total Knee Arthroplasty

• Moon SJ
• Lim YJ
• Kim KB
• Park MS
• Lee JH

Abstract

PURPOSE
We reviewed the short-term clinical results of two-stage reimplantation using antibiotic-loaded articulating cement spacer in infected total knee arthroplasty (TKA).
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Nineteen consecutive patients (20 knees) with chronic indolent infection after TKA from July, 2004 were treated by two-stage reimplantation using articulating antibiotic spacer and were followed them with a minimum of 18 months. We assessed infecting organism, response of erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein (CRP) level following insertion of antibiotic spacer, elapsed time to reimplantation, and duration of parenteral antibiotics therapy. And we also evaluated clinical results using Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) score, range of motion (ROM) and reinfection rate.
RESULTS
The most common was methicillin-resistant staphylococcus epidermidis (8 patients, 53.3%) among the infecting organisms identified in 15 patients. Average ESR and CRP level were 28.9 mm/hr and 3.0 mg/L, each before reimplantation. The elapsed time to reimplantation was 9.7 weeks and the mean duration of parenteral antibiotics was 5.4 weeks. The ROM before spacer insertion was 72.5degrees, increasing to 103.3degrees and HSS score also improved from 47.8 preoperatively to 88.8 without evidence of reinfection at latest follow-up.
CONCLUSION
Two-stage reimplantation using articulating antibiotic spacer in infected TKA is thought to be veryeffective surgical option to achieve excellent clinical results through controlling infection and permitting active joint motion.

Keyword

Infected total knee arhtroplasty; Reimplantation; Antibiotic-loaded articulating cement spacer

MeSH Terms

Anti-Bacterial Agents
Arthroplasty
Blood Sedimentation
C-Reactive Protein
Follow-Up Studies
Humans
Joints
Knee
Methicillin Resistance
Range of Motion, Articular
Replantation
Staphylococcus epidermidis
Anti-Bacterial Agents
C-Reactive Protein