Does the Use of Antibiotic-Loaded Bone Cement Have an Effect on Deep Infection in Primary Total Knee Arthroplasty Practice?

BACKGROUND

Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is performed to improve the quality of life by reducing knee arthralgia. One of the most destructive and expensive complications of TKA is deep infection. The primary purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of using antibiotic-loaded bone cement (ALBC) on the incidence of deep infection after primary TKA.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A total of 506 patients who underwent primary knee arthroplasty at the Antalya Training and Research Hospital between February 2009 and January 2016 were investigated retrospectively.

RESULTS

The ALBC was used for 85 patients (16.7%), who constituted group 1. Plain bone cement was used for 421 patients (83.2%), who constituted group 2. Deep infection was observed in one patient (1.1%) in group 1 and in six patients (1.4%) in group 2, a difference that is not statistically significant. On average, the deep infection occurred six months after the surgery at the earliest and 19 months at the latest.

CONCLUSION

Use of ALBC did not decrease the incidence of deep infection in TKA. Therefore, we prefer bone cement without any antibiotic.