Diagnosis of infection following total hip arthroplasty

High rates of infection complicated the early experience with total hip arthroplasty and, although the rates have decreased substantially over the last few decades, infection still is a source of considerable morbidity. Infection following total hip arthroplasty is costly to treat because of the sub...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of bone and joint surgery. American volume 1997-10, Vol.79 (10), p.1578-1588
Main Authors: SPANGEHL, M. J, YOUNGER, A. S. E, MASRI, B. A, DUNCAN, C. P
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biological and medical sciences
Investigative techniques, diagnostic techniques (general aspects)
Medical sciences
Osteoarticular system. Muscles
Pathology. Cytology. Biochemistry. Spectrometry. Miscellaneous investigative techniques
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Summary:High rates of infection complicated the early experience with total hip arthroplasty and, although the rates have decreased substantially over the last few decades, infection still is a source of considerable morbidity. Infection following total hip arthroplasty is costly to treat because of the subsequent need for reoperation and the prolonged hospitalization often required to eradicate the infection. In the United States, the cost per year to treat the 3500 to 4000 infections following total hip arthroplasty is between 150 and 200 million dollars. Numerous investigations are available for the workup and diagnosis of failed total hip replacements. These investigations, as well as an algorithm to rule out the presence of infection as a cause of failure, will be presented.
ISSN:0021-9355
1535-1386
DOI:10.2106/00004623-199710000-00015