- Philip A Mitchell: Division of Reconstructive Orthopaedics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Eradication of chronic infection complicating total hip arthroplasty requires removal of all infected, devitalized and foreign tissue, including the arthroplasty components. Reimplantation into a sterile bed is the goal of treatment in most patients and successful reimplantation yields better functional results than excision arthroplasty. Reimplantation may be performed at the same stage as débridement as part of a single-stage procedure, using cemented components with antibiotic-loaded cement. Alternatively, a two-stage procedure may be performed so that the débridement and reimplantation are separated by a period of antibiotic delivery, both locally and systemically. The results of these treatment regimens and the rationale for cementless reconstruction at the second stage of a two-stage treatment protocol are important considerations in the treatment of periprosthetic infection.