Resistant organisms are difficult to eradicate in infected total knee arthroplasty, and treatment of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is especially challenging. Whereas most surgeons use antibiotic-impregnated cement during revision to treat infection, the delivery of the drug in adequate doses is limited in penetration and duration. This study presents the 2- to 8-year prospective results of one-stage revision and intraarticular antibiotic infusion protocol used to treat MRSA. Eighteen knees (18 patients) with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus were treated between January 2001 and January 2007 with one-stage revision protocol that included débridement, uncemented revision of total knee components, and intraarticular infusion of 500 mg vancomycin via Hickman catheter once or twice daily for 6 weeks. (Figure 1) No intravenous antibiotics were used after the first 24 hours. Serum vancomycin levels were monitored to maintain levels between 3 and 10 μg/mL. The mean serum vancomycin peak concentration was 6 ± 2 μg/mL and the mean serum vancomycin trough concentration was 3 ± 1 μg/mL at 2 weeks postoperative.Introduction
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