Articulating Antibiotic Cement Spacers
摘要
Treatment of periprosthetic hip infections remains a difficult problem in orthopedics. The two-stage exchange procedure has become gold standard for most and involves placement of a transient antibiotic spacer for a period of weeks to months eluting antibiotics into the wound bed in addition to systemic antibiotics to treat the infection. Articulating spacers have numerous benefits and should be used when possible pending available bone stock. These spacers allow for improved mobility and function in the interim period prior to reimplantation as well as ease of reconstruction at the time of the reimplant surgery. Complications can occur including bone or cement spacer fracture as well as dislocation.