Espaciadores estáticos de cemento con antibiótico en la infección protésica de rodilla: técnica de elaboración y movilidad posoperatoria / Static cement spacers in total knee infection: custom manufacturing technique and postoperative motion

Introducción: A pesar de las mejoras en la técnica quirúrgica en reemplazos totales de rodilla, el número de infecciones posquirúrgicas continúa en aumento. En la bibliografía mundial, está demostrado que las revisiones en dos tiempos logran mayores porcentajes de curación que las de un solo tiempo. El objetivo de este trabajo es mostrar nuestra técnica de elaboración de los espaciadores estáticos y los resultados obtenidos con estos espaciadores en revisiones de reemplazos totales de rodillas infectadas, tratadas en dos tiempos y, además, evaluar la movilidad obtenida. Materiales y Métodos: De 1997 y 2010, en nuestro Centro, se efectuaron 153 revisiones de reemplazos totales de rodilla, 33 (21 %) fueron a causa de una infección periprotésica crónica, tratada en dos tiempos, con el uso de un espaciador estático de cemento con antibiótico. La serie estaba conformada por 33 rodillas en 32 pacientes, con un promedio de edad de 69 años y un seguimiento de 3.5 años. Resultados: Treinta (91%) de las 33 rodillas se curaron. Veintiocho fueron reimplantadas exitosamente, 2 rodillas con infección curada no fueron reimplantadas por distintos motivos y permanecieron con el espaciador en forma definitiva y la infección persistió en 3 casos. Las 28 rodillas reimplantadas evolucionaron favorablemente, con una movilidad de 90° a los 3.15 meses de posoperatorio promedio. Conclusiones: Con el empleo de espaciadores estáticos de rodilla, obtuvimos un porcentaje de curación similar al publicado con espaciadores articulados. La ventaja de los primeros es su fácil fabricación y colocación, le otorgan a la articulación una adecuada estabilidad y un aceptable rango de movilidad posoperatoria.

Background: Despite improvements in surgical technique, the number of infections after total knee arthroplasty continues to rise. According to bibliographic reviews, the two-stage exchange procedure has obtained higher percentages of cure than that performed in a single stage. The purpose of this paper was to show our technique for preparing the static spacer, the results and the range of motion achieved with two-stage revision of infected total knee arthroplasty using those spacers. Methods: We performed 153 total knee arthroplasty revisions between 1997 and 2010, 33 (21%) of them due to a prosthetic chronic infection, treated with a two-stage procedure with cement static spacer with antibiotic. We evaluated 33 total knee arthroplasties in 32 patients, with an average age of 69 years and an average postoperative follow-up of 3.5 years. Results: Healing was achieved in 30 (91%) of the 33 knees. Twenty-eight knees were successfully reimplanted, two with healing infection were not reimplanted for different reasons and 3 had persistent infection. The 28 reimplanted knees evolved favorably, achieving a range of motion of 90º in an average of 3 months after surgery. Conclusions: The static knee spacer achieved a similar healing rate to that obtained with articulated spacers. The advantage of static spacers is its easy manufacture and placement, giving greater stability and an acceptable range of motion.

The Modified Static Spacers Using Antibiotic-Impregnated Cement Rod in Two-Stage Revision for Infected Total Knee Arthroplasty

The two-stage exchange arthroplasty (one- or two-stage) is believed to be the gold standard for the management of infections following total knee arthroplasty. We herein report a novel two-stage exchange arthroplasty technique using an antibiotic-impregnated cement intramedullary nail, which can be easily prepared during surgery using a straight thoracic tube and a Steinmann pin, and may provide additional stability to the knee to maintain normal mechanical axis. In addition, there is less pain between the period of prosthesis removal and subsequent reimplantation. Less soft tissue contracture, less scar adhesion, easy removal of the cement intramedullary nail, and successful infection control are the advantages of this technique.

Comparison of Articular Spacer Versus Static Spacer in the Treatment of Infected Total Knee Arthroplasty

PURPOSE: To compare and analyze the surgical procedure and clinical results of two-stage re-implantation using both articulating and static spacers at infected total knee arthroplasties(TKA). MATERIALS & METHODS: A total of 14 cases were selected for subject of this study in which patients had been diagnosed as infected TKA and had undergone two-stage re-implantation(7 using static spacers and remaining 7 using articulating spacers) from March 1999 to March 2006. RESULTS: In the group using static spacers, ROM improved from 70 degrees in average preoperatively to 98 degrees postoperatively. In the group using articulating spacers, ROM improved from 74 degrees to 105 degrees (p=0.532). HSS score showed an increase from 43 scores in average preoperatively to 81 postoperatively for static spacers and from 41 to 83 for articulating spacers(p=0.780). There was no significant difference in the hour spent for the 1st surgery. The 2nd operation time was shortened to 241 minutes in case of static spacers, and 208 minutes in articulating spacers. One case of relapse was reported with static spacers but none with articulating spacers. CONCLUSION: Two-stage re-implantation of infected TKA using both static and articulating spacers has been found to be effective ways of treatment, requiring, however, long term follow-ups.