EARLY SURGICAL DEBRIDEMENT IN PATIENTS WITH SUSPECTED ACUTE INFECTION AFTER HIP OR KNEE ARTHROPLASTY: SAFE, EFFECTIVE AND WITHOUT NEGATIVE FUNCTIONAL IMPACT

AimThe purpose of this study is to evaluate the safety profile and impact on functional results of surgical debridement performed in the early postoperative by comparing them with patients that undergone uncomplicated total joint arthroplasty.MethodThis is a retrospective case-control study. Patients that underwent debridement with prosthesis preservation for suspected acute postoperative infection of total hip or knee arthroplasty between 2010–2014 were included. Controls were randomly selected (1:2 ratio) from a list of primary arthroplasty patients in the same time period matching for articulation, age, gender, ASA score, BMI and follow-up time.Infection status, success of treatment and medical-surgical complications were investigated and all patients were assessed using Hip disability and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score(HOOS) or Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score(KOOS).ResultsTwenty-nine patients were included at a mean follow-up of 42.3 (18–66) months. Infection was confirmed in all but one pa...