Low prevalence of tissue detection of cefepime and daptomycin used as empirical treatment during revision for periprosthetic joint infections: results of a prospective multicenter study.

Data demonstrating that antibiotics administered intraoperatively in patients with surgical revision for periprosthetic joint infection achieve concentrations exceeding minimal inhibitory concentrations of the identified bacteria at the surgical site when the new implant is inserted are lacking. We prospectively included patients with periprosthetic joint infection operated with one- or two-stage replacement during which cefepime (2g)-daptomycin (10mg/kg) combination was administered intravenously as intraoperative empirical antibiotic treatment. Three biopsies (two bones and one synovial membrane) were taken from each patient just before the insertion of the new implant. Eighteen adults of median age 68 years were included. Knee was involved in 10 patients (55.6%) and surgery consisted in one-/two-stage replacement in 11/7 patients. A tourniquet was used during the intervention in the 10 patients with knee prosthesis. Among 54 tissue samples, cefepime and daptomycin were detected respectively in 35 (64.8%) and 21 (38.9%) cases (P=0.01). A total of 17 bacteria dominated by staphylococci (n=14) were identified in 10 patients; tissue inhibitory quotient calculated in 51 samples was >1 in 22 cases (43.1%) for cefepime and in 16 cases (31.4%) for daptomycin. The proportion of tissue samples with detectable antibiotic was significantly higher in hip versus knee prosthesis (P=0.03). The present study suggests that intraoperative empirical administration of cefepime-daptomycin combination during septic prosthetic joint replacement results in a high proportion of tissue samples in which at least one of the two antibiotics was not detected or at a low concentration despite satisfactory concomitant blood serum concentrations.

Daptomycin versus Vancomycin as Post-Operative Empirical Antibiotic Treatment for Prosthetic Joint Infections: A Case-Control Study.

Purpose: To compare safety and efficacy of Vancomycin (Van) versus Daptomycin (Dap) as post-operative empirical antibiotic treatment (PEAT) in patients with periprosthetic joint infections (PJIs). Methods: Medical charts of patients treated empirically with Van or Dap in the post-operative period of total hip/knee prosthesis septic revision until the results of intra-operative culture were reviewed. Cefotaxime, cefepime or aztreonam were used in combination with Dap or Van. Results: Twenty Dap patients were matched with 20 other Van patients according to the age and type of prosthesis. The ASA score and the distribution of the pathogens was similar in the two groups especially regarding the number of methicillin-resistant staphylococci. The mean duration of the PEAT was 6.07 ± 0.85 days. A total of 17 episodes of adverse events (AE) in 10 patients (25%) were recorded during the PEAT which led to discontinue the treatment in 5 patients, all of them treated with Van (P=0.02). At the end of a mean post-treatment follow-up of 618 +/- 219 days, 36 patients remained in remission of infection; 2 patients failed in each group. Conclusions: Our observations suggest that PEAT with Van for septic revision of PJIs is associated with a higher discontinuation rate due to AE but with a similar outcome than it is with Dap.

Suppressive antibiotic therapy with oral tetracyclines for prosthetic joint infections: a retrospective study of 78 patients.

PURPOSE: This study aimed at describing the use of oral cyclines (i.e., doxycycline and minocycline) as suppressive antibiotic therapy (SAT) in patients with periprosthetic joint infections (PJIs). METHODS: Medical charts of all patients with surgical revisions for PJIs who were given cycline-based SAT because of a high failure of various origins were reviewed. Data regarding tolerability and effectiveness of cycline-based SAT were analysed. RESULTS: Seventy-eight patients of mean age 64 ± 17 years received cycline-base SAT in the period from January 2006 to January 2014. PJIs involved the knee in 37 patients (47%), the hip in 35 (45%), the elbow in 4 (5%), and the shoulder in 2 (3%) and were qualified as early in 31 patients (39.7%). Staphylococcus spp. were the most common pathogens accounting for 72.1% of the total number of bacterial strains identified. All included patients had surgery which consisted in debridement and implant retention in 59 of them (75.6%). Doxycycline and minocycline were prescribed as SAT in 72 (92%) and 6 (8%) patients, respectively. Adverse events were reported in 14 patients (18%), leading to SAT discontinuation in 6 of them (8%). After a mean follow-up of 1020 ± 597 days, a total of 22 (28.2%) patients had failed including 3 cases (3.8%) with documented acquisition of tetracycline resistance in initial pathogen(s). CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that oral cyclines used as SAT in patients treated for PJI have an acceptable tolerability and effectiveness and appear to be a reasonable option in this setting.

Suppressive antibiotic therapy with oral doxycycline for Staphylococcus aureus prosthetic joint infection: a retrospective study of 39 patients.

The aim of this study was to describe the use of oral doxycycline as suppressive antibiotic therapy (SAT) in patients with Staphylococcus aureus periprosthetic (hip or knee) joint infections. The medical charts of all patients with surgical revisions for S. aureus hip or knee prosthetic joint infections (PJIs) who were given doxycycline-based SAT because of a high risk of failure of various origins were reviewed. Data regarding tolerability and effectiveness of doxycycline-based SAT were analysed. A total of 39 patients (mean age 66.1 ± 16.3 years) received doxycycline-base SAT in the period from January 2006 to January 2014. PJIs involved the hip in 23 patients (59.0%) and the knee in 16 (41.0%), and were qualified as early in 15 patients (38.5%). Methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) accounted for 22% of the total number of bacterial strains identified. All patients included in the study had surgery, which consisted of debridement and implant retention in 32 (82.1%). Adverse events likely attributable to SAT were reported in six patients (15.4%), leading to discontinuation of SAT in three (7.7%). A total of 29 patients (74.4%) remained event-free and 10 (25.6%) failed, including 8 (20.5%) relapses and 2 (5.1%) superinfections. Overall, 8 of the 10 failure cases were related to a doxycycline-susceptible pathogen. These results suggest that oral doxycycline used as SAT in patients treated for S. aureus hip or knee PJIs has an acceptable tolerability and effectiveness and appears to be a reasonable option in this setting.

Outcome of patients with streptococcal prosthetic joint infections with special reference to rifampicin combinations.

BACKGROUND: Outcome of patients with streptococcal prosthetic joint infections (PJIs) is not well known. METHODS: We performed a retrospective multicenter cohort study that involved patients with total hip/knee prosthetic joint (THP/TKP) infections due to Streptococcus spp. from 2001 through 2009. RESULTS: Ninety-five streptococcal PJI episodes (50 THP and 45 TKP) in 87 patients of mean age 69.1 ± 13.7 years met the inclusion criteria. In all, 55 out of 95 cases (57.9 %) were treated with debridement and retention of the infected implants with antibiotic therapy (DAIR). Rifampicin-combinations, including with levofloxacin, were used in 52 (54.7 %) and 28 (29.5 %) cases, respectively. After a mean follow-up period of 895 days (IQR: 395-1649), the remission rate was 70.5 % (67/95). Patients with PJIs due to S. agalactiae failed in the same proportion as in the other patients (10/37 (27.1 %) versus 19/58 (32.7 %); p = .55). In the univariate analysis, antibiotic monotherapy, DAIR, antibiotic treatments other than rifampicin-combinations, and TKP were all associated with a worse outcome. The only independent variable significantly associated with the patients' outcomes was the location of the prosthesis (i.e., hip versus knee) (OR = 0.19; 95 % CI 0.04-0.93; p value 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: The prognosis of streptococcal PJIs may not be as good as previously reported, especially for patients with an infected total knee arthroplasty. Rifampicin combinations, especially with levofloxacin, appear to be suitable antibiotic regimens for these patients.

Influence of daily dosage and frequency of administration of rifampicin-levofloxacin therapy on tolerance and effectiveness in 154 patients treated for prosthetic joint infections.

Data on the tolerance and effectiveness of rifampicin-levofloxacin combination therapy (RLCT) in patients treated for prosthetic joint infections (PJIs) according to daily dosage are lacking. A review of the clinical data from patients treated with RLCT for PJIs in a French referent center for PJIs was conducted. A total of 154 patients (75 F/79 M), with a median age of 64.1 years and median body weight of 83.1 kg, were included. The median daily dosages of rifampicin and levofloxacin were, respectively, 1,200 mg (range 300-2,100) and 750 mg (range 500-1,500), corresponding to a mean daily dose per kg of, respectively, 16.2 ± 4.3 mg/kg and 10.1 ± 3.0 mg/kg. After a mean follow-up period of 55.6 ± 27.1 months (range 24-236), 127 patients (82.5 %) were in remission. Adverse events attributable to rifampicin and levofloxacin were reported in 48 (31.2 %) and 13 (8.4 %) patients (p < 0.001), respectively. Patients who experienced rifampicin-related adverse events had been given higher rifampicin daily doses than the other patients (p = 0.04). The rifampicin daily dosage did not influence patient outcome and nor did the levofloxacin daily dosage on both tolerance and patient outcome. Our results suggest that adjusting rifampicin daily doses to the patient total body weight when combined with levofloxacin for the treatment of PJIs is associated with a poor tolerance. High daily doses of rifampicin (>600 mg) and levofloxacin (750 mg) do not improve patient outcome when compared to lower daily doses in this setting.

Knee arthrodesis using a customised modular intramedullary nail in failed infected total knee arthroplasty.

BACKGROUND: Knee arthrodesis is used to treat patients with failed infected total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Among fixation methods, intramedullary nailing increases the chances of bone union but may carry a risk of infection around the nail. This risk is not well understood, because available case-series studies were not confined to patients with knee infection. HYPOTHESIS: Infection recurrence rates after knee arthrodesis with intramedullary nailing used to treat failed infected TKA are similar to those seen with other fixation methods. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 31 cases of knee arthrodesis with fixation by a modular intramedullary nail performed at a subspecialized center treating complex osteoarticular infections (CRIOAC). The antibiotic regimen was determined based on multidisciplinary discussions and microbiological studies of preoperative and intraoperative specimens. Mean follow-up was 50 ± 22 months (range, 28-90 months). Arthrodesis was performed in one stage (n=6) or two stages (n=25). Success was defined as presence, after a postoperative follow-up of at least 24 months, based on the following criteria: normal erythrocyte sedimentation rate and/or C-reactive protein, no wound inflammation or sinus tract, no revision surgery, and no antibiotic treatment. Bone union was not a criterion for a successful arthrodesis procedure. RESULTS: Removal of the fixation material was required in three patients and long-term palliative antibiotic therapy in three patients (fixation material in place with repeated positive specimens) for a total of six failures due to infection (6/31, 19.4%). None of the patients experienced mechanical failure (no breakage of the material and no fixation failure of the nails designed to allow osteointegration). The mean leg length discrepancy was 10 ± 10 mm (range, 5-34 mm) and the mean Oxford score was 41 ± 11 (range, 23-58). The 50-month rate of arthrodesis survival to revision surgery for nail removal was 77.8 ± 4% and the 50-month rate of arthrodesis survival without revision surgery for persistent infection was 74.6 ± 4.2%. DISCUSSION: The infection recurrence rate was higher than with other fixation methods but remained acceptable (19.4%). Use of a modular intramedullary nail prevented major leg-length discrepancies, which are often poorly accepted by the patients, and allowed immediate weight bearing despite the often severe bone loss. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV, retrospective cohort study.

Clinical spectrum and outcome of critically ill patients suffering from prosthetic joint infections.

PURPOSE: To report the clinical characteristics and prognosis of prosthetic joint infections (PJIs) in Intensive care units (ICUs). METHODS: Forty-one patients consecutively admitted to ICUs for PJIs between January 2004 and June 2011 were included in a retrospective case series. RESULTS: A majority of patients (73 %) had severe underlying disease. Acute infection affected 26 patients (63 %). Blood cultures were positive in 16 patients (39 %). Staphylococcus species were the most commonly implicated causative organisms (n = 36, 88 %). The surgical strategy was two-stage replacement in 25 cases (61 %). The surgical procedure leading to ICU admission was mainly prosthesis removal with spacer implantation (n = 13, 32 %). Initial antibiotherapy was a broad-spectrum beta-lactam antibiotic combined with a glycopeptide, linezolid, or daptomycin in 26 cases (63 %). Mortality in the ICU was 20 %. In nonsurvivors, diabetes, acute infection, and American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score >3 were more frequent. The distribution of surgical strategies and procedures was not statistically different in survivors and nonsurvivors. The proportion of patients treated with antibiotherapy adjusted according to previous microbiological findings was higher in nonsurvivors (50 vs. 12 %, p = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: In our case series of critically ill patients suffering from PJI, factors associated with a poor outcome were diabetes mellitus, ASA score >3, and acute infection. Surgical strategies and surgical procedures had no significant impact on the ICU mortality. Adjustment of initial antibiotherapy according to previous microbiological findings should be made with caution.

Major amputation of lower extremity: prognostic value of positive bone biopsy cultures.

BACKGROUND: To assess the correlation between culture results of section's osseous slice biopsy (SOB) and the distal infected site responsible for the amputation performed concomitantly during major amputation of lower extremity. The influence of a positive culture of SOB on the patients' outcome was also evaluated. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study of medical charts of patients who underwent SOB during major amputation of lower extremity at our institution from 2000 to 2009. RESULTS: Fifty-seven patients (42 males/15 females, mean age 52.16years) who undergone major limb amputation (47 below knee and ten above knee) were included. The initial medical conditions of the investigated patients were: trauma (n=32), infection (n=13), trophic disorders (n=10) and tumor (n=2). The major cause of amputation was an uncontrolled infection, accouting for 64.9% of the cases (37/57) (foot=5, ankle=8, leg=24), the remaining 20 patients had trophic disorders of lower limb. Twenty-one (36.8%) from 57 biopsies were sterile, 12 (21.1%) doubtful and 24 (42.1%) positive. Thirty-one (54.4%) patients had an antibiotic-free interval before limb amputation. Independently of the bacterial species, 69.6% of the microorganisms identified from SOB were found in the distal infected site. Patients with positive SOB had a significantly longer interval between the decision to amputate the patient and the surgical procedure (200.2 vs. 70.1days; P<0.03) and a shorter total duration of antibiotic therapy before amputation than patients with negative SOB (3.68 vs. 6.08months; P<0.03). The delay for complete healing was significantly higher in patients with a positive SOB compared with those with a negative SOB (3.57 vs. 2.48months; P<0.03). CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that the infection may extend from the distal site to the level of amputation in a large proportion of cases and that the delay with which the amputation is performed after the decision has been taken may play a role in this event. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Study level IV: retrospective observationnal study.

Antibiotic prophylaxis to reduce the risk of joint implant contamination during dental surgery seems unnecessary.

INTRODUCTION: Joint implant infection rates range between 0.5% and 3%. Contamination may be hematogenous, originating in oro-dental infection and, as in endocarditis, antibiotic prophylaxis has been recommended to cover oro-dental surgery in immunodepressed patients with joint implants less than 2 years old, despite the lack of any formal proof of efficacy. In this context, the cost and side effects of such prophylaxis raise the question of its real utility. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A search of Pubmed was performed using the following keywords: prosthetic joint infection, dental procedure, antibiotic prophylaxis, hematogenous infection, dental infection, bacteremia, and endocarditis. Six hundred and fifty articles were retrieved, 68 of which were analyzed in terms of orthopedic prosthetic infection and/or endocarditis and oro-dental prophylaxis, as relevant to the following questions: frequency and intensity of bacteremia of oro-dental origin, frequency of prosthetic joint infection secondary to dental surgery, and objective efficacy of antibiotic prophylaxis in dental surgery in patients with joint implants. RESULTS: Bacteremia of oro-dental origin is more frequently associated with everyday activities such as mastication than with tooth extraction. Isolated cases of prosthetic contamination from dental infection have been reported, but epidemiological studies in joint implant bearers found that absence of antibiotic prophylaxis during oro-dental surgery did not increase the rate of prosthetic infection. The analysis was not able to answer the question of the efficacy of dental antibiotic prophylaxis in immunodepressed patients; however, oro-dental hygiene and regular dental treatment reduce the risk of prosthetic infection by 30%. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: The present update is in agreement with the conclusions of ANSM expert group, which advised against antibiotic prophylaxis in oro-dental surgery in implant bearers, regardless of implant duration or comorbidity: the associated costs and risks are disproportional to efficacy. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE AND TYPE OF STUDY: Level V; expert opinion.

Outcome of patients with diabetes with negative percutaneous bone biopsy performed for suspicion of osteomyelitis of the foot.

AIMS: To assess the outcome of patients with diabetes with suspicion of osteomyelitis of the foot who had undergone a percutaneous bone biopsy that yielded negative microbiological results, with focus on the occurrence of osteomyelitis at the biopsied site. METHODS: Medical charts of adult patients with diabetes with a negative percutaneous bone biopsy were reviewed. Patients' outcome was evaluated at least 2 years after the initial bone biopsy according to wound healing, the results of a new bone biopsy and bone imaging evaluation when applicable. RESULTS: From January 2001 to January 2008, 41 patients with diabetes (30 men/11 women; mean age 58.1 ± 9.6 years; mean diabetes duration 15.8 ± 6.7 years) met study criteria. Osteomyelitis was suspected based on combined clinical and imaging diagnostic criteria. On follow-up at a mean duration of 41.2 ± 22.5 months post-bone biopsy, 16 patients had complete wound healing (39.0%). Of the 25 other patients, 15 had a new bone biopsy performed, six of which yielded positive microbiological results, and among the 10 patients who neither healed nor underwent bone biopsy, comparative radiography of the foot showed a stable aspect of the biopsied site in six of them, for whom the data were available. Finally, osteomyelitis of the foot at the site where the initial bone biopsy had been performed was confirmed during follow-up in six patients (14.6%) and was suspected in four additional patients (9.7%). CONCLUSIONS: The results of the present study suggest that, of patients with diabetes with the suspicion of osteomylelitis and a negative percutaneous bone biopsy, only one out of four will develop osteomyelitis within 2 years of the biopsy.

Factors governing the healing of Staphylococcus aureus infections following hip and knee prosthesis implantation: a retrospective study of 95 patients.

INTRODUCTION: The prognostic factors for total hip arthroplasty (THA) and total knee arthroplasty (TKA) Staphylococcus aureus prosthetic joint infections are poorly known, notably because of the heterogeneous management in terms of both antibiotic administration and adopted surgical strategy. Uniform treatment regimens would make it easier to define the outcome of these S. aureus infections. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between 2001 and 2006, 95 patients with a S. aureus joint infection after THA or TKA were treated, strictly following a standardized protocol according to the recommendations of Zimmerli et al. The patients' mean age was 65.7 years, 71 with THA and 28 with TKA (four patients had two infected joints). These 95 patients presented 120 infectious episodes, all of whom had surgical treatment: 53 lavages (44.1%), 17 one-stage prosthesis revisions (14.2%), 29 two-stage prosthesis revisions (24.2%), and 21 prostheses removed (17.5%). On the intraoperative samples taken, methicillin-sensitive S. aureus (MSSA) was isolated in 88 patients (73.3%) and methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) in 18 patients (15%); finally 14 patients were included because of the positive results of preoperative samples taken. Twenty-seven infections (22.5%) were multibacterial, including at least S. aureus and 93 were single S. aureus bacteria. Success was defined at a minimum 12 months of follow-up by the association of the following parameters: normal erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and/or C-reactive protein (CRP) results, noninflammatory scar with no fistula, no surgical revision, and no antibiotic treatment. RESULTS: At a mean follow-up of 38±24.9 months, 81 of the 120 infectious episodes were resolved (67.5%) and 77 of the 95 patients were healed (81%). Six parameters significantly influenced the healing of the infection: initial cementless fixation, THA, preoperative knowledge of the bacterium, immediate postoperative antibiotic therapy adapted to the microbiological data, changing the prosthesis, and monobacterial infection. Only the latter two were independent, with an odds ratio of 5 (1.6-14.9) and 2.9 (1.1-7.7) respectively. However, resistance to methicillin did not appear to be a factor of failure. DISCUSSION: Management of prosthetic S. aureus infections according to a uniform protocol in a specialized medical center healed the infection in 81% of the patients. Treatment improvement requires knowledge of the bacterium, adaptation of immediate probabilistic antibiotic therapy, and preference for changing the prosthesis over simple lavage.

Acute grade III and IV acromioclavicular dislocations: outcomes and pitfalls of reconstruction procedures using a synthetic ligament.

INTRODUCTION: Acromioclavicular dislocation (ACD) is frequent, at 8% of all shoulder traumas. Management in grade III lesions remains controversial. The present study assessed objective and subjective results at medium-term follow-up (mean, 60 months; range, 12-120 mo) in 27 patients managed by Ligastic(®) ligament reconstruction for acute dislocation. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This is a multicenter, multi-surgeon retrospective study. Between 1998 and 2006, 59 patients were operated on for grade III or IV ACD, in one teaching hospital (Lille, France) and one general hospital (Tourcoing, France). Follow-up was performed by an independent (non-operator) observer. The 27 acute cases followed up underwent comparative bilateral radioclinical shoulder examination. Initial X-ray assessment found 14 grade-III (52%) and 13 grade-IV (48%) dislocations using Patte's classification. RESULTS: Mean Constant score was significantly lower on the operated side (82.44 vs 90.04; p<0.05). Specific strength analysis, on the other hand, showed no significant difference with the contralateral shoulder. Coracoclavicular distance was significantly greater on the operated side (p<0.05), with and without traction. Periprosthetic osteolysis was found in 24% of cases, and seemed to worsen over follow-up. There were no cases of fracture on osteolysis. There were no cases of sepsis or of implant intolerance. Four patients, however, required surgical revision. CONCLUSION: In light of literature findings and our own experience, surgery is not to be recommended in grade-III ACD, and the authors have given up use of this device in this group due to the rate of associated osteolysis. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV.

Efficacy and tolerance of rifampicin-linezolid compared with rifampicin-cotrimoxazole combinations in prolonged oral therapy for bone and joint infections.

Both linezolid and cotrimoxazole are antibiotics that are well suited for oral therapy of bone and joint infections (BJI) caused by otherwise resistant Gram-positive cocci (GPC) (resistance to fluoroquinolones, maccolides, betalactamines). However, in this context, no data are currently available regarding the safety and tolerance of these antibiotics in combination with rifampicin. The objective of this study was to compare the efficacy and safety of a combination of rifampicin and linezolid (RLC) with those of a combination of rifampicin and cotrimoxazole (RCC) in the treatment of BJI. Between February 2002 and December 2006, 56 adult patients (RLC, n = 28; RCC, n = 28), including 36 with infected orthopaedic devices (RLC, n = 18; RCC, n = 18) and 20 with chronic osteomyelitis (RLC, n = 10; RCC, n = 10), were found to be eligible for inclusion in this study. Patients who discontinued antibiotic therapy within 4 weeks of commencing treatment were considered to represent cases of treatment failure and were excluded. Rates of occurrence of adverse effects were similar in the two groups, at 42.9% in the RLC group and 46.4% in the RCC group (p = 1.00), and led to treatment discontinuation in four (14.3%) RLC and six (21.4%) RCC patients. Cure rates were found to be similar in the two groups (RLC, 89.3%, RCC, 78.6%; p = 0.47). Prolonged oral RLC and RCC therapy were found to be equally effective in treating patients with BJI caused by resistant GPC, including patients with infected orthopaedic devices. However, the lower cost of cotrimoxazole compared with linezolid renders RCC an attractive treatment alternative to RLC. Further larger clinical studies are warranted to confirm these preliminary results.

Safety of prolonged high-dose levofloxacin therapy for bone infections.

The records of 84 patients with bone infections treated with high-dose levofloxacin (i.e. 0.75-1g daily) for more than 4 weeks were reviewed. Patients were given either 500 mg b.i.d. throughout the treatment period [Group 1 (n=41)], 500 mg b.i.d. for 3 weeks and then 750 mg q.d. [Group 2 (n=21)] or 750 mg q.d. for the whole treatment period [Group 3 (n=22)]. All patients had combined therapy, including levofloxacin-rifampin in 62 cases (73.8%), for an average duration of 13.7 weeks. Muscular pain and/or tendonitis were reported in 19 patients (22.6%) which affected more patients in Groups 1 and 2 than in Group 3 (14/41 and 5/21 vs. 0/22; p=0.01 and 0.001, respectively). A dosage of 750 mg q.d. may be warranted for prolonged high-dose levofloxacin treatment in patients with bone infections rather than 500 mg b.i.d. for the entire duration of treatment, or for the first 3 weeks.

[Are the principles of treatment of chronic osteitis applicable to the diabetic foot?]. / Les principes du traitement de l'ostéite chronique sont-ils applicables au pied diabétique?

OBJECTIVE: The interest of the management of bone infections in the diabetic foot, inspired by the recommendations for the treatment of chronic osteitis, was assessed in this study. METHODS: Twenty bone infections in 17 diabetic patients with moderate to mild infections of the feet were confirmed by the results of X-ray and/or scintigraphic studies and bone surgery biopsy cultures revealing one or more bacteria sensitive to standard osteitis treatment (rifampicine + fluoroquinolone). The patients had received this treatment per os for a median duration of 6 months (3 to 10 months). Clinical follow-up was carried out during a consultation at 1, 3 and 6 months during treatment and then by telephone every six months after the end of treatment. Clinical success was defined as the disappearance of any local sign of infection and by the absence of relapse during the post-treatment follow-up period. The evolution of the bone infection was also assessed by the results of a control conducted 3 to 6 months after initiation of the antibiotic treatment. RESULTS: At the end of the treatment, all signs of infection had disappeared in 15/17 patients (88.2%) and no relapse had occurred in 14 (82.3%) patients at the end of a median post-treatment period of 22 months (12 to 41 months). Resection of necrotic bone was performed at the same time as the bone biopsy in 2 patients. The median duration of hospitalisation was of 14 days (3 to 53 days). During the study, a multi-resistant germ was isolated in 4 patients (1 Pseudomonas aeruginosa, 3 Staphylococcus aureus). During the post-treatment follow-up, 3 patients dies from causes unrelated to the infection treated. No serious adverse event was reported during the study. DISCUSSION: The results of this pilot study support the rationale of applying the treatment regimens of chronic osteitis to diabetic lesions of the feet, but are only applicable to comparable patients presenting with non-severe lesions of the feet. Moreover, the use of antibiotics with potent selection of resistance such as rifampicine and fluoroquinolone, requires that bone biopsies be taken, which is not easy in all the diabetic foot care centres. We are presently conducting a study to identify the sub-populations of diabetic patients who could benefit from such treatment.

Rifampicin-ofloxacin oral regimen for the treatment of mild to moderate diabetic foot osteomyelitis.

Seventeen diabetic patients with moderate to mild foot lesions associated with 20 osteomyelitic bones diagnosed by both bone scan and bone biopsy received rifampicin plus ofloxacin for a median duration of 6 months. Cure was defined as disappearance of all signs and symptoms of infection at the end of the treatment and absence of relapse during follow up. At the end of the treatment period, cure was achieved in 15 patients (88.2%) and was maintained in 13 patients (76.5%) at the end of an average post-treatment follow-up of 22 months. No serious drug-related adverse events were recorded.

[Tendon transfers in postoperative hallux varus. Apropos of 12 cases]. / Utilisation des transferts tendineux dans les hallux varus post opératoires.A propos de 12 cas]

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY: Iatrogenic hallux varus deformity after bunion surgery is a post-operative condition in which the great toe is oriented in medial deviation in relation to the first metatarsal head. This overcorrection can be a disabling complication with poor cosmetic appearance. A review of the surgical literature showed a reported hallux varus incidence range of 2 p. 100 to 13 p. 100. Various surgical interventions to treat hallux varus are described in the literature and we present here our experience in operative management of acquired hallux varus based on the results of surgical repair with the Johnson (extensor hallucis longus tendon) EHLT transfer procedure and the Hawkins (abductor hallucis tendon) procedure in 12 patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS: All of the patients suffered from painful iatrogenic hallux varus and conservative treatment was unsuccessful in all cases. The mean duration of follow-up was 42 months (range 8-96). The average age was 37 years (range: 17 to 58). The index procedure in eleven patients was a Mc Bride bunionectomy and in one case a Petersen procedure. On physical examination, a claw deformity of the hallux characterized by extension of the metatarsophalangeal joint and flexion of the interphalangeal joint was noted in all feet. Eight transfers of the abductor hallucis tendon and four complete transfers of the extensor hallucis longus tendon with interphalangeal joint fusion were done. At the time of the final follow-up, patients were interviewed and graded using a standardized questionnaire based on pain, metatarso-phalangeal range of motion, alignment of the hallux, footwear requirements, walking capabilities and first ray rest. RESULTS: Eleven patients reported satisfactory results and one patient a fair result. Overcorrection was a potential complication and in this retrospective study, one bunion deformity recurred but was asymptomatic. On radiographic evaluation the hallux abductus angle was improved by a mean 26.6 degrees and the average first intermetatarsal angle was 7 degrees (range: 3 degrees to 12 degrees ). A narrowing of the metatarso-phalangeal joint was observed in four cases (2 Johnson and 2 Hawkins). DISCUSSION: The addition of a tendon transfer to the medial soft tissue release is recommanded in most cases of hallux varus in active patients without osteoarthritis of the metatarso-phalangeal joint. Our experience with the EHLT transfer or the abductor hallucis tendon transfer demonstrated excellent correction of the hallux varus deformity; however metatarso-phalangeal joint stiffness was frequently observed. As originally described by Johnson et Spiegl, the entire extensor hallucis longus tendon was used in conjunction with an interphalangeal joint arthrodesis in the presence of a fixed and painful deformity of the hallux interphalangeal joint. If no fixed claw deformity was present an abductor hallucis tendon transfer was preferred. Onset of degenerative disease involving the metatarso-phalangeal joint in four cases may jeopardize long term survival of these surgical results.