MAKING A DURABLE AND BALANCED ARTICULATING SPACER FOR THE KNEE

ABSTRACT Articulating spacers appear to provide advantages including better range of motion, improved function, better patient satisfaction, reduced length of hospital stay, as well as facilitating reimplantation to the patients undergoing staged revision total knee arthroplasty for periprosthetic joint infections. Also articulating spacers have an important role in the staged treatment of native active septic arthritis or periarticular chronic osteomyelitis. These types of spacers also allow tailored high-dose antibiotics and should be used whenever possible, understanding there are circumstances when an articulating spacer is not likely to function well, including patients with ligament instability, deficient extensor mechanism and massive bone loss around the knee. A more durable and balanced articulating spacer offer clear advantages by allowing unrestricted weight-bearing, improved function, and durability for cases were reimplantation need to be delayed. We describe a cost-effective, reliable and reproducible technique to obtain a durable and balanced articulating knee spacer using cement augmentation.