[The infected hip joint]

The deep infection of a hip joint (after operative treatment of a fracture, after corrective osteotomy or as a haemtogeneous joint infection) is a severe, locally and systemically dangerous sickness; her treatment ist difficult because of the multifactorial genesis. In the accident hospital of Tübingen were treated 35 empyemas of hip joint (excluding after implantation of a prosthesis) within 10 years. The therapeutic management normally needs three steps: 1. Control of acute empyema or septicaemia (Debridement, Drainage, antibiotic treatment) 2. Achievement of fracture or osteotomy stability (by changing of osteosynthesis or bone-grafting under continuous drainage) 3. Definitive healing by removing of metal, resection of a destroyed or necrotic femoral head, by arthrodesis of the joint or--in special cases--by implantation of a prosthesis. In this way it was possible to control all of the 35 deep hip joint infections and to maintain function in 28 cases. Within the follow up (in the average 4 years) all the patients were free of infection.