Abstract
This retrospective study evaluates the outcome of patients with a late infection of a cemented total hip arthroplasty (THA) treated with two-stage revision with retention of the original well-fixed femoral cement mantle.
Operation reports of all two stage revision performed in our clinic between 2009 and 2013 were reviewed (249 patients). Patients in which femoral cement mantle was retained during surgery were included (10 patients). The average age at the first stage revision procedure was 61.5 years (range 38–80). The mean follow-up period was 26 months (range 5 to 54 months). Clinical, laboratory, and radiological outcomes were evaluated.
Successful treatment of periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) was achieved in six out of 10 patients; four patients showed no signs of infection during follow-up. Two of these patients received three months of antibiotic treatment after second stage, because of positive cultures at second stage. The other two successfully treated patients showed recurrence of PJI one week after second stage. Debridement with retention of prosthesis (DAIR) was performed. Newly cultured microorganisms were successfully treated with 3 months of antibiotics.
The other four patients were considered to be failures; in three patients, the femoral cement mantle was removed after the first stage due to recurrent infection. The other failure showed a recurrent PJI after second stage. Despite DAIR and three months of antibiotic treatment, this patient is treated with suppressive antibiotics until latest follow-up.
Based on this study, results in managing an infected THA with cement-within-cement revision are disappointing. Therefore, more research is required to determine which patients are appropriate for cement-within-cement revision.
