Infected total knee replacement: How I do a one-stage revision
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Updated: Nov 26, 2025

Novel Diagnostics in Revision Arthroplasty: Implant Sonication and Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction
Published on: December 3, 2017
1University Hospital Llandough & Spire Hospital, Cardiff, United Kingdom; Schoen Clinic Orthopaedic and Spinal Hospital, 66 Wigmore Street, London W1U 2SB, United Kingdom; Schoen Clinic Orthopaedic and Spinal Hospital, London 66, Wigmore Street, London W1U 2SB.
Background:
As part of a session on the infected knee replacement at the British Orthopaedic Association congress in Liverpool, 2019, this topic was delivered as a lecture. The content and ideas of the lecture have been expanded to produce this article.
Methods:
One-stage revision total knee replacement is not a new concept but remains controversial. This article is not written to persuade any surgeon to undertake the procedure but to simply give a working framework for how one surgeon performs the operation. We will cover the philosophy underpinning the rationale for single-stage revision (not 2-in-1 revision) including extensile exposure, a defined debridement protocol, reconstruction and fixation, antibiotic delivery and exclusion criteria.
Results:
None.
Conclusion:
The techniques outlined in this article should give confidence that one-stage revision knee replacement is a viable option when working within a multi-disciplinary team structure.

