The results of articulating spacer technique for infected total knee arthroplasty

In 19 patients with infected total knee arthroplasties, 21 knees were treated with debridement, component removal, and insertion of articulating spacer followed by second-stage total knee arthroplasty revision. A modified V-Y quadricepsplasty was to obtain adequate exposure in 6 cases. Average length of follow-up was 52.2 months. The mean knee score with the articulating spacer was 60.5 points. The mean knee score after revision was 80.6, with good--to--excellent results achieved for 80.9% of the knees. The average range of motion was 85 degrees for the knees with articulating spacer and 97.6 degrees after reimplantation. There was one recurrence of infection at the final follow-up. We conclude that the articulating spacer can improve knee mobility and function during the interval between stages without incurring additional risk of infection.