Two-stage protocol remains the gold standard of
care for infection after TKA
Link
http://www.orthosupersite.com/view.asp?rID=30098
Using an implant and antibiotic-cement composite may help
maintain length, soft tissue compliance.
By Gina Brockenbrough
ORTHOPEDICS TODAY
August 2008
A two-stage treatment protocol and intravenous antibiotics may help surgeons
effectively manage infections after total knee arthroplasty, according to a
Texas surgeon.
Richard E. Jones, MD, said during his presentation at the 9th Annual Current
Concepts in Joint Replacement Spring Meeting, "All in all, we can say that the
two-stage technique gives us good delivery of antibiotics, helps clean up
infections, maintains soft tissue length and enhances rehabilitation and joint
restoration."
Prescribing nutritional supplementation and encouraging patients to quit smoking
may also improve patients' capacity for wound healing.
When infection is suspected, surgeons should be aware of
elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) and erythrocyte sedimentation rates.
"Remember that the CRP after surgery goes
down within 3 weeks," Jones said. "The sed rate takes about 3
months before it goes down." He also highlighted the
unreliability of sinus cultures and instead recommended that
surgeons obtain deep tissue cultures.
Surgeons inserted a new tibial
poly-cement-antibiotic composite, as shown here. |
This image shows the old femoral component, which
was sterilized, above the cement antibiotic composite.
Images: Jones RE |
Establish organism
"The key is to establish the organism and the
sensitivity of the organism and then direct your parenteral and
cement antibiotic combinations for specificity," Jones said.
Surgeons should also categorize patients into one of the
following physiologic classes of healing capacity:
-
Type A for patients with a normal healing
capacity;
-
Type B for those with local or systemic
combined wound healing deficients; and
-
Type C for high-morbidity patients.
The surgical goals for treating infected
cases include debriding all necrotic tissue and eliminating the
dead space. Jones' protocol involves a radical debridement,
implanting an antibiotic-cement composite, and a definitive
reconstruction.
"The concept that we developed was
incorporating an implant moving surface with a cement-antibiotic
composite that maintains length, gives you soft-tissue
compliance and patients can get up and walk on it," Jones said.
He forms a custom implant that allows fluid at the interface for
easy future removal and uses antibiotic beads which eliminate
any dead space.
This radiograph shows an infected revision TKA
with multiple sinus tracks.
At 7 years post reconstruction, the infection is
cleared.
Jones noted that muscle flaps
may be necessary to obtain closure in some cases.
Antibiotic delivery
"We use calcium sulphate pellets with
antibiotic, because these actually absorb within the soft tissue
and you do not have to go back and dig them out like you do
cement antibiotic beads," Jones said.
For the mixture, he uses 24 cc of antibiotic
powder in every 40-g pack of cement powder. "Remove 24 cc of
cement powder so that you have a working time of 1.5- to 2-times
normal," Jones said.
"You use a Groshong (Bard Access Systems)
catheter for parenteral antibiotic delivery and we go back at 3
months on knees with a stable wound, normal CRP and sed rate,"
Jones said. For the second stage of the procedure, he noted that
samples with a white cell count greater than 20 signify a
continued infection.
Soft tissue coverage and using concomitant
muscle flaps may also necessary.
"Be friendly with your plastic surgeon and
ancillary support, particularly in terms of re-educating
patients to be in control," Jones said.
A note from the editor:
In September, Javad Parvizi, MD, FRCS, will begin a bi-monthly
column for Orthopedics Today called Infection
Watch.
For more information:
-
Richard E. Jones, MD, can be reached at 5920 Forest
Park, Suite 600, Dallas, TX 75235; 214-902-1431.. He has
an ownership interest and intellectual property rights
with DePuy.
Reference:
-
Jones RE. The infected knee: The two stage imperative.
#64. Presented at the Annual Current Concepts in Joint
Replacement Spring Meeting. May 18-21, 2008. Las Vegas.
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