ANTIBIOTIC-LOADED HYDROGEL COATING TO PREVENT EARLY POST-SURGICAL INFECTION AFTER JOINT ARTHROPLASTY: RESULTS FROM A MULTICENTRE EUROPEAN TRIAL

AimInfection remains among the first reasons of failure of joint prosthesis. According to various preclinical reports, antibacterial coatings of implants may prevent bacterial adhesion and biofilm formation. Aim of this study is to present the first clinical trial on an antibiotic-loaded fast-resorbable hydrogel coating*, in patients undergoing hip or knee prosthesis.MethodIn this multi-center, randomized, prospective, study, a total of 380 patients, scheduled to undergo primary or revision total hip or knee joint replacement, using a cementless or a hybrid implant, were randomly assigned, in six European orthopedic centers, to receive the antibiotic-loaded DAC coating or to a control group, without coating. Pre- and post-operative assessment of clinical scores, wound healing, laboratory tests and x-ray were performed at fixed time intervals.ResultsOverall 373 patients were available at a minimum follow-up of 6 months (maximum 24 months). On average, wound healing, laboratory tests and radiographic findin...