Femoral Nail and Cement Static Spacer Technique for the Treatment of Chronic Periprosthetic Knee Infection

Abstract

A 2-stage protocol is standard of care treatment in the United States for chronic periprosthetic joint infection of the knee. While many patients benefit from insertion of an articulating spacer, there are instances in which this is not feasible, and a static spacer is indicated. However, many static spacer techniques risk instability and lack durability. The ideal static spacer construct should provide immediate brace-free weight-bearing to maximize function during the spacer stage and, if needed, permit delayed reimplantation in the case of medically high-risk patients. Here, we describe our surgical technique for a femoral nail and cement static spacer in the treatment of chronic knee periprosthetic joint infection, a reproducible, stable, and durable construct essential to the armamentarium of the arthroplasty surgeon.