2016 AAOS Annual Meeting: Articulating vs. Static Spacers in the Management of Periprosthetic Knee Infection: A Randomized Clinical Trial

52 patients who developed periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) after primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and scheduled for two-stage replacement arthroplasty were randomized to either articulating or static antibiotic spacers. The purpose of this study was to compare the two types of spacers to determine the optimal treatment pertaining to range of motion, knee society score (KSS), mean operative time, and length of stay. Findings indicated that range of motion at an average of 1.7 years following reimplantation was significantly greater in individuals who had received an articulating spacer compared to individuals who had received a static spacers. No significant differences were reported for KSS, mean operative time, or length of hospital stay between the two spacers.