Introduction. Native hip joint infection can result in hip arthrosis as a complication requiring the need for subsequent arthroplasty. There is little evidence to support single or staged THA. We present the results of patients who have undergone total hip arthroplasty (THA) following hip joint sepsis in our institution. Methods. Patients receiving a THA following previous hip joint sepsis between 2003 and 2015 were identified from the operative records database. Further clinical information was collected from the medical records, including timing of infection and surgery, as well as culture results. Functional outcome (Oxford Hip Score, OHS) and patient satisfaction scores (PSS) were recorded. Results. There were 21 males and 12 females with a mean age of 54 (21–82) at a mean follow up of 6.4 years (2–12) following definitive implantation. Thirteen patients underwent a single stage THA and 20 patients had a 2 stage procedure, two of whom required a repeat 1. st. stage prior to implantation. The mean time from native hip infection to operation was 17.2 years (3–59). At implantation, positive cultures were present in 19 cases, 13 of which were S. aureus. Two patients required revision due to a periprosthetic fracture and one patient required debridement, antibiotics and implant retention (DAIR). Therefore, the implant survivorship was 94% and infection rate was 3% at 6.4 years. Discussion. Both single and staged arthroplasty provide good results in patients who have developed septic arthritis. THA as a single stage was performed predominately in patients with a long remission between their initial infection and presentation. Positive culture at implantation does not confer a bad outcome as long as a thorough debridement is performed as routine in this patient group. Patient comorbidities are an important factor as both cases requiring reoperation were in IV drug users with Hepatitis C

Previous reports have shown the efficacy of muscle interposition grafts in treating recalcitrant infection in the presence of hip arthroplasty. We report our experience with a two stage debridement and rectus femoris pedicled interposition graft technique in chronic severe native hip infection with a persistent draining sinus. During the last 16 months, three paraplegic patients presented with persistently draining sinuses and chronic osteomyelitis of the pelvis, acetabulum and proximal femur, in a total of four hips. The mean patient age was 49 years (range, 40 to 59 years). In all patients there had been previous attempts to control the infection with wound debridement and long-term antibiotics. A two-stage operative treatment was used in all patients. The first stage comprised wound debridement, washout, gentamycin-bead application and temporary vacuum assisted wound coverage. At the second stage, approximately ten days later, through a standard anterior midline incision, the rectus femoris muscle was elevated on its pedicle, rolled, transposed into the acetabulum and sutured to the transverse acetabular ligament. At the second stage, all patients had local administration of antibiotics with genetamycin impregnated absorbable collagen fleece and all wounds were closed by delayed primary closure with a negative pressure dressing placed over the closed wound. All patients were commenced on a 6 week course of intravenous antibiotics, according to sensitivities. No loss of flap occurred in any of the patients. One wound had partial dehiscence and required a split skin graft. At the final follow-up examination all the wounds were healed and there was no recurrence of draining sinuses, pressure sores or systemic sepsis. The two stage technique with a pedicled rectus femoris interposition graft may be a useful technique for the treatment of complex chronic persistent osteomyelitis of the pelvis, acetabulum and proximal femur, with the primary aim of stopping the discharging sinus