Deep infection after primary hip arthroplasty: results after treatment of 10 patients

In the period 05.06.79 -31.12.91, 2037 primary total hip arthroplasties were performed, all in ultra-clean air, wearing body-exhaust system suits and all patients recieving Meticillin as prophylactic antibiotics. None of the non-cemented arthroplasties were infected and 0.61% of the cemented hip arthoplasties were infected giving a total incidence of deep infection after total hip arthroplasty in our clinic of 0.49%. The microorganism most commonly cultured was Staph. aureus, but in one hip Listeria was cultured, which is extremely rare. In the 10 patients with deep infection the infection reccurred in 30%. Patients with a revision prosthesis in situ at follow-up, had an average Harris-hip score of 79, and radiographs showed no signs of loosening or persistant infection. The rate of deep infection and the patients' condition after the revision procedures in our series are comparable to other published series.