Quality of life, infection control, and complication rates using a novel custom‑made articulating hip spacer during two‑stage revision for periprosthetic joint infection

This study introduces a novel custom-made articulating hip spacer technique for two-stage revision surgery in patients with periprosthetic joint infection (PJI). The goal is to improve patient outcomes and lower complication rates. The study prospectively collected patient-reported health-related quality of life (HRQoL) scores at three points: before spacer implantation, with the spacer in place, and after reimplantation of the new prosthesis. The findings suggest that the new approach leads to high infection eradication and implant survivorship rates in the short term, along with low spacer-related complication rates and high patient satisfaction.

• 1
  Infection control was achieved in 96% of patients after reimplantation, with an implant survivorship of 92% after a mean follow-up time of 19 months.
• 2
  Spacer-related complication rate was low (4.2%), with only one case of dislocation that was treated with closed reduction.
• 3
  Patient-reported outcome scores, including VR-12 MCS, VAS hip pain, and overall satisfaction, significantly improved after the first stage surgery.