Recovery of knee mobility after a static or mobile spacer in total knee infection.

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to compare the recovery of knee mobility after two-stage revision of an infected total knee arthroplasty using a static or mobile spacer. At 12 months follow-up, none of the patients had a recurrent infection of their new prosthesis. Knee flexion was lower in the static spacer group at 3, 6 and 12 months postoperatively. Patients that received a mobile spacer had a better and faster recovery of their knee function. The operation time of re-implantation was shorter in the mobile spacer group than in the static spacer group. Our results suggest that patients treated with a mobile spacer have a faster recovery of the knee range of motion and a shorter operation time, including for the subsequent re-implantation of a prosthesis. Our results support the use of the mobile spacer in patients with an infected TKA that are treated with a two-stage revision of the prosthesis.