Septic Two-Stage Cementless Hip Revision Arthroplasty Is Safe but Has Higher Complication and Mortality Rates in...

Background: Two-stage septic hip revision arthroplasty has higher mortality rates than aseptic hip revision arthroplasty, and patients over 75 years have higher fracture rates than younger patients after cementless total hip arthroplasty. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine whether two-stage septic hip revision arthroplasty in older patients leads to higher complication and mortality rates, as well as whether changing to cementless hip prostheses in older patients could lead to higher fracture and subsidence rates of the stem prosthesis than in younger patients. Material and Methods: In total, 286 two-stage-revision procedures for periprosthetic infections of the hip in 186 patients younger and 118 patients older than 75 years were followed for a minimum of 24 (50.24 ± 20.77) months. A total of 71.3% of procedures were performed via a transfemoral approach using cementless cups and revision stems (93.7%). Complications and mortality were analyzed retrospectively. Results: There was a one-year mortality rate of 1.0% with no difference in the groups, and a general mortality rate of 2.8% with a significantly higher rate in older adults than in the younger group (5.9% vs. 0.6%; p = 0.01). The rate of fractures of the bony flap in transfemoral approaches (9.1%), fissure rate of the isthmus (2.8%), rate of subsidence of cementless stems (1.0%), and rate of reinfections (4.89%) did not differ between the two groups. The general complication rate (not associated with cementless two-stage septic revision) (22.0%) was significantly higher in the older patient group (33.9% vs. 13.7%; p < 0.001). Conclusions: Septic two-stage revision hip arthroplasty, mostly using a transfemoral approach and cementless reimplantation, does not result in a higher one-year mortality rate, reinfection rate, and rate of fissures and fractures of the bony flap, but demonstrates a generally higher mortality and complication rate in older adults. This should be taken into consideration when determining the indication and when offering advice to older adults.