One-Stage Revision Total Hip Arthroplasty for Polymicrobial Periprosthetic Joint Infection Leads to High Reinfection

Graham S Goh1, Markus Neumann2, Jochen Salber3

  • 1Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Helios ENDO-Klinik Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany; Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Boston University Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts.

PubMed
Abstract

Insights

One-stage revision hip arthroplasty for polymicrobial periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) shows a 66.9% success rate at 5 years, with nearly one-third experiencing septic failure. Further research is needed to improve outcomes for this challenging condition.

Area of Science:

  • Orthopedic Surgery
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Biomaterials Science

Background:

  • Polymicrobial periprosthetic joint infections (PJIs) traditionally treated with two-stage exchange.
  • Limited outcome data exists for one-stage revision in polymicrobial PJI.
  • Renewed interest in one-stage revision necessitates evaluation of its efficacy.

Purpose of the Study:

  • Evaluate midterm (5-year) outcomes of one-stage revision total hip arthroplasty (THA) for polymicrobial PJI.
  • Assess septic failure rates in patients undergoing this procedure.
  • Contribute to understanding the effectiveness of one-stage revision for complex PJI.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective review of patients with polymicrobial PJI undergoing one-stage revision THA (2016-2022).
  • PJI defined by 2018 International Consensus Meeting criteria.
  • Analysis of 65 patients with cultures isolating two or more microorganisms; mean follow-up of 5 years.

Main Results:

  • Survivorship free from septic failure was 66.9% (95% CI 59.1 to 74.7).
  • 17 septic failures occurred, with a mean time to failure of 1.8 years.
  • Most failures (92.3%) involved the same organisms as the initial infection.

Conclusions:

  • This study is the largest to report outcomes of one-stage revision for polymicrobial PJI.
  • A significant rate of septic failure (nearly one in three) was observed at midterm follow-up.
  • Future research should explore adjunctive therapies and optimize patient selection for one-stage exchange arthroplasty in polymicrobial PJI.