The use of antibiotic-loaded cement spacers is an established method in the management of periprosthetic hip and knee joint infections. Despite inconsistencies among published studies, data shows that infection control rates exceed 90% with two-stage exchange arthroplasty. The present work reviews the current literature about antibiotic-loaded cement spacers and concentrates on the indications ...

BACKGROUNDS A two-stage revision arthroplasty was suggested optimal treatment for deep infections in hip joint. The effect of endoskeleton of cement spacers on the interim function and infection control remains unclear. METHODS From Jan. 2004 to Dec. 2007, we collected a prospective cohort of consecutive 34 patients who treated with two-stage revision total hip arthroplasty for deep infection...

Using a rabbit model of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus knee-prosthesis infection, we studied the efficacy of teicoplanin cement alone or in combination with systemic intramuscular (i.m.) injections of teicoplanin. Seven days after infection, surgical debridement and removal of the infected prostheses were performed, and five rabbits were randomly assigned to one of five different t...

Knowledge about the elution from antibiotic-loaded cement spacers is an indispensable premise for guarantee of clinical success. A systematic literature search was performed through PubMed. Search terms were "antibiotic elution" and "antibiotic release" in combination with "spacer," "hip spacer," and "knee spacer," respectively. A total of 11 studies could be identified. Seven studies reported ...

We describe a series of three patients who sustained patella tendon injuries in infected total knee arthroplasties following the use of a static cement spacer at first-stage knee revision. The patella tendon injuries resulted in significant compromise to wound healing and knee stability requiring multiple surgeries. The mid-term function was poor with an Oxford score at 24 months ranging from 1...

We describe a patient who developed a delayed-type hypersensitivity reaction to piperacillin/tazobactam in the cement beads and a spacer inserted at revision of total replacement of the left knee. We believe that this is the first report of such a problem. Our experience suggests that a delayed-type hypersensitivity reaction should be considered when a mixture of antibiotics such as piperacilli...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Antibiotic-loaded cement spacers are typically manufactured by surgeons in the operating room. However, if the infecting organism is known preoperatively, the cement spacer can be fabricated (Spacer-G(®) or the InterSpace(®) Hip) in advance. It is unclear if preformed hip spacers are superior to surgeon-made hip spacers in the treatment of periprosthetic joint infection f...

Bone cement spacers loaded with antibiotic are the gold standard in septic revision. However, the management of massive bone defects constitutes a surgical challenge, requiring the use of different nails, expensive long stems, or cement-coated tumor prostheses for preparing the spacer. In most cases, the knee joint must be sacrificed. We describe a novel technique for preparing a biarticular to...

Two stage total hip arthroplasty revision surgery includes foreign material debridment, insertion of antibiotic impregnatedcement spacer, and finally, reimplantation of the prosthesis. This review has aimed to evaluate the efficacy of antibioticimpregnated cement spacers in infection control and eradication in arthroplasties.A total of 85 articles on total hip arthroplasty wer...

Simultaneous prosthetic joint infection of ipsilateral hip and knee arthroplasties is often accompanied by significant bone loss and presents a challenging reconstructive problem. Two-stage reconstruction is favored and requires the placement of a total femur spacer, which is not a commercially available device. We describe a surgical technique, reporting on 2 cases in which a customized total ...