Amphotericin-B loaded bone cement spacer in

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The title should not exceed 20 words.
Amphotericin-B loaded bone cement spacer in
combination with IV antifungals was sufficient to induce
fungal clearance in a revision knee arthroplasty case
study.
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Please write your abstract text here. The word limit is 350 words.
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Peri-prosthetic joint infections (PJI) are a known complication of lower limb arthroplasty. While bacteria
is the most common causative agent, fungal PJIs are identified in around 1% of all cases and result
equally devistating. The treatment of bacterial PJIs through the use of antibiotic impregnated bone
cement is a widely accepted technique, but the use of antifungal impregnated cement for the treatment
of fungal PJIs is only just being established.
Typically antifungal agents are impregnated either into a temporary spacer that is later removed during
second stage revision, or directly into the implant cement mantel itself. However, there is little clinical
evidence regarding the safety and efficacy of these two different approaches, and what data does exist
is varied. The effect of antifungal agents on the mechanical strength of bone cement is also poorly
understood; favouring the use of temporary bone spacers if it can be shown they achieve good efficacy
and safety.
To address this we report here the case study of a 68 year old female patient who presented 18
months after a primary total knee replacement with aseptic loosening of the prothesis. Uncomplicated
one stage revision surgery was conducted with good clinical post operative recovery. Unfortunately
four months later, during a prolonged hospital admission for cauda equina syndrome, the patient
became clinically septic with a red, hot and swollen knee. Aspiration of the knee confirmed a diagnosis
of haematological seeded, mixed bacterial and candidal peri-prosthetic infection. The introduction of
Amphotericin-B loaded, temporary bone cement spacer in combination with IV Caspofungin during
revision surgery was sufficient to induce complete clearance of all fungal infection in the peri-prostheic
region. However, in this patient, bacterial PJI reoccurred and antibiotic therapies continued.
Our data suggest that the introduction of antifungal agents into the periprosthetic region via a
temporary bone cement spacer is sufficient for good antifungal activity, and that the impregnation of
such agents into the primary bone cement mantel, with the subsequent unknown effect on cement
integrity, is not a requirement.