Periarticular Penetration of Cefazolin and Clindamycin in Second Stage Revision Arthroplasty of the Hip

Periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) is a feared complication of joint replacement, with an incidence of 0.5-1% after primary joint replacement and 3-5% after revision arthroplasty. For orthopaedic surgery involving a prosthesis, the administration of systemic antibiotic prophylaxis is strongly recommended to prevent PJI. Cefazolin is widely used as agent of choice in surgical antibiotic prophylaxis. Previous studies, all performed in patients undergoing primary joint replacement, demonstrated that the concentration of cefazolin in bone and synovial fluid was dose-dependent and exceeds the MIC90 for methicillin susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA), when given as 1 to 4 gram single dose shortly before incision. When a PJI is already present, clindamycin is used as treatment option in PJI caused by staphylococci (when combined with rifampicin) or cutibacteria. A limited number of studies have been performed to analyse the penetration of clindamycin into bone. These studies showed that clindamycin penetrates well into the bone and concentrations exceeded the MIC90 for MSSA. No studies have been performed to analyse the penetration of antibiotic agents into the periarticular tissue in patients who will undergo revision arthroplasty. In revision arthroplasty a foreign body (prosthesis) is in situ and periarticular tissue condition can be compromised due to previous surgical procedures and the presence of bone reaction to the prosthesis. It is not known whether the difference in PJI incidence after primary and revision arthroplasty may be explained by different penetration of the surgical antibiotic prophylaxis. The aim of this explorative study is to analyse the penetration of cefazolin and clindamycin into synovial fluid and bone and whether the concentration of the agents exceeds the MIC90 for micro-organisms frequently causing PJI.