When a knee replacement gets a deep infection it is a serious problem. Treating the infection with antibiotics is usually ineffective as long as the prosthesis is in place. This means that in order to treat the problem a two stage revision is required.
This is consists of:
Stage 1: The knee replacement is removed and an artificial spacer is inserted to keep the bone apart. This is often formed out of bone cement as it does not harbor infection like metal does. The knee is kept immobilized in full extension and IV antibiotics are administered. During this time no weight is taken through the leg.
Stage 2: After a number of months of antibiotic treatment, once blood tests show that the infection is gone, a new knee replacement is inserted.
The whole process can take many months and is considered the "last chance" salvage operation. If infection returns, amputation is not uncommon.
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