Abstract
We studied the results of treatment using spacers of cement with antibiotics for an infected hip joint in 11 cases, during the period from September 1994 to October 1998. Five cases were male and 6 were female. Their mean age was 65 years, with age ranging from 26 to 80 years. The infected hip joints involved coxitis purulenta in 3 cases, an infected prosthesis in 7 cases, and an infected girdlestone in 1 case. The mean follow-up period was 1.6 years, ranging from 5 days to 4.1 years. At first, we removed the prosthesis or resected the femoral head, and performed curettage. Next, we inserted spacers made from cement with antibiotics, modeled on a unipolar prosthesis. Seven cases (63.6%) responded, while the other 4 cases (36.4%) did not respond. A new prosthesis could be replaced in 5 cases. The mean follow-up period after replacing the prosthesis was 2 years, with range from 1 month to 3.9 years. These 5 replacements have not relapsed. We have concluded that this treatment was effective.
