INFECTION CONTROL WITH SPACER VERSUS RESECTION ARTHROPLASTY IN INFECTED TOTAL HIP REPLACEMENT

Infection remains a serious complication of total hip replacement (THR). Management options have been developed to improve clearance of infection while maintaining joint function during treatment and improve outcome at reimplantation. The gold standard in management is generally considered to be implant removal and thorough debridement with antibiotic therapy delivered systemically and locally with impregnated spacers. However, some surgeons still prefer to use Girdlestone resection arthroplasty, thus not leaving any foreign body in situ.The aim of this study was to compare infection clearance rates, radiographic and functional outcomes after two-stage revision of total hip arthroplasty with (1) gentamicin-loaded bone cement spacer or (2) Girdlestone resection arthroplasty as the first stage of treatment.We retrospectively reviewed data of 48 patients (20 females, 28 males) with implanted spacers and 53 patients (21 females, 32 males) treated with resection arthroplasty at tertiary care university hospita...