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Updated: Aug 2, 2026
Novel Diagnostics in Revision Arthroplasty: Implant Sonication and Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction
Published on: December 3, 2017
[Clinical analysis of 13 infected total knee replacements]
1Arthritis and Clinic Research Center, People's Hospital, Beijing Medical University, Beijing 100044, China.
Objective:
To investigate the cause, treatment and its result of infected total knee replacements (TKRs).
Methods:
Between 1987 and 1999, 13 infected TKRs in 13 patients were treated with surgical debridement and one-stage or two-stage reimplantation. The preoperative average ROM of knees was 55 degrees and the average Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) knee score was 36.5 points. Clinical results were evaluated after average follow-up for 3 years and 5 months. We analyzed the factors for TKR infection.
Results:
No recurrent infection was noted, and pain was significantly alleviated in all patients. The average ROM of knees was 85 degrees and the average HSS knee score was 73.5 points.
Conclusions:
The high risk factors for TKR infection are rheumatoid arthritis, steroid administration, associated diabetes mellitus, hinged prosthesis and previous knee surgery. Early surgical debridement with intravenous antibiotics is necessary as soon as deep infection is detected. Two-stage reimplantation is more effective in eradicating deep infection than single debridement or one-stage reimplantation.
