The influence of the alloy of megaprostheses on infection rate.
We retrospectively reviewed 197 patients who underwent reconstruction with a megaprosthesis of the lower extremity. A cobalt-chrome alloy system was used in 77 patients and a titanium alloy system in 120 patients. The overall infection rate was 20.8% (n = 41). Separated into the 2 prosthesis systems used, an infection rate of 31.2% was found in the patients with a cobalt-chrome-alloy prosthesis and 14.2% in the titanium alloy group of patients (P < .01). Early infection occurred in 5.1% (n = 10) and late infection in 15.7% (n = 31). Selecting 2 identical subgroups for further analysis, the cobalt-chrome alloy prostheses were associated with a significantly higher infection rate, with 5 infections of 26 megaprostheses vs 1 infection of 36 titanium megaprostheses (P < .05).
Department of Orthopaedics, University Hospital of Münster, Münster, Germany.
Georg
G
Gosheger
Christian
C
Goetze
Jendrik
J
Hardes
Uwe
U
Joosten
Winfried
W
Winkelmann
Christof
C
von Eiff
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000497:Alloys; D000535:Aluminum; D001178:Arthroplasty / Q000295:instrumentation; D001186:Artificial Limbs; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002648:Child; D002858:Chromium Alloys; D005260:Female; D005269:Femur / Q000382:microbiology / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008982:Molybdenum; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013977:Tibia / Q000382:microbiology / Q000601:surgery; D014025:Titanium; D014639:Vanadium
D000497:Alloys; D002858:Chromium Alloys; D014639:Vanadium; D008982:Molybdenum; D000535:Aluminum; D014025:Titanium