[Therapeutic concepts in infected hip prosthesis]

In the period from January 1980 to December 1987, 62 patients with infected hip joint arthroplasties were treated. The duration of observation was on average 37 months (minimum 12 months, maximum 91 months). The choice of treatment modality depended on the type of infection, the state of anchorage of the endoprosthesis, the general condition of the patient, the type of bacterium and the state of the tissue surrounding the implant. 42 arthroplasties (67%) healed primarily. The remaining 20 were subject to 46 further operations (2.3 relapse operations/patient). 14 subsequently healed (23%) and six cases remained definitively infected.