Despite the success of total hip replacements, there is still a devastating complication that orthopedic surgeons must deal with: periprosthetic infection. We conducted a retrospective study on patients diagnosed with chronic periprosthetic hip infection treated with a two-stage revision using a gentamicin-impregnated articulating cement spacer. We observed a had a high overall success rate (above 90%) and that there were no significant differences between mono- and polymicrobial infections.

Early infection after primary total hip arthroplasty can be effectively treated with one-stage cementless exchange revision. In our retrospective case series we have 100% infection control. If other similar orthopedic centers are able to reproduce our results, the potential benefit for the patients and treating institutions is of considerable importance worldwide. We did this research to document our results and make the protocol available for the orthopedic infection surgery community.

This study reports a rate of deep surgical site infection (SSI) of 0.2 % in a cohort of patients treated surgically for osteoarthritis of the hip at the 90 d review mark using CDC/NHSN criteria for diagnosis. This work establishes a reliable population-based baseline infection rate for early-onset deep SSI after total hip arthroplasty for osteoarthritis. It also provides valuable insight into risk factors associated with developing an early-onset deep SSI.

Determining whether periprosthetic joint infections are acute or chronic can be a challenge for the arthroplasty surgeon. We present data that support the use of the ratio between the ESR and CRP in patients with PJI. Using this simple calculation of the ESR / CRP ratio, surgeons may have more confidence in determining whether an infection is acute or chronic, which can aid in treatment decisions.