THE OUTCOME OF 2-STAGE ARTHROPLASTY USING A CUSTOM-MADE INTERVAL SPACER TO TREAT THE INFECTED HIP

Sixty-one patients undergoing a two-stage revision of an infected hip using a prosthesis of antibiotic-loaded acrylic cement were followed f or an average of 43 months. Twelve patients were excluded (3 died, 6 h ad no proven infection, and 2 no second stage). Only 1 patient was los t to follow-up evaluation from those included, for a retrieval rate of 98% for those still living. Of the remaining 48 patients, 3 had furth er sepsis: Two became reinfected with different organisms and 1 with t he same organism, for an infection eradication rate of 94%. The other 45 had no clinical, laboratory, or radiographic evidence of infection. Thirty-seven patients (80%) had a Harris hip score greater than 80 or an improvement of at least 30 points.