THE USE OF CALCIUM CARBONATE BEADS CONTAINING GENTAMICIN IN THE SEPTIC REVISION OF TOTAL KNEE ARTHROPLASTY

BackgroundThe aim of the study was to analyze effectiveness and safety of packing the medullary canal of the tibia and femur with Herafill (Heraeus Medical GmbH, Wehrheim, Germany), a void filler and antibiotic carrier, during second stage revision total knee arthroplasty(TKA) for periprosthetic joint infection (PJI). We used hybrid cementation technique for the fixation of TKA components with antibiotic-loaded bone cement for femoral and tibial component and cementless stem extensions.MethodsTwo groups of 27 consecutive patients each were matched for gender and age. The study group received Herafill, while the control group did not. Otherwise, the treatment protocol remained the same for both groups. The average follow-up was 48 months (minimum of 34 months).ResultsNo reinfections were observed in the study group, while three were seen in the control group. No other differenceswere observed between the study and control groups, including clinical Knee Society Score (59.4 and 58.6 points, respectively) an...