Is synthetic bone graft safe in infected revision?
Straight answers for surgeons in Cincinnati Children’s, OH, facing bone loss behind a failed knee component.
You are revising an infected total knee in Cincinnati Children’s. There is bone loss behind the tibial tray. You need to fill the defect. But you worry a synthetic graft could become a hiding place for bacteria. You need a material that will not act as a sequestrum.
An infected field makes bone grafting tricky. Dead bone or dense allograft can shield bacteria from antibiotics. Porous synthetic scaffolds are different. Materials like ACTIFUSE have an 80% interconnected pore structure. This allows blood vessels to grow in. Antibiotics can reach the site. The graft remodels into your patient's own bone over time. It does not offer a permanent shelter for infection.
The choice depends on your staging. In a single-stage revision, you must be very careful. Mix the graft with local antibiotics. Use a stable implant. With a two-stage protocol, you can pack the defect after the infection clears. A synthetic graft then supports the new joint. The risk of a persistent infection is lower than with structural allograft.
This week, talk to Elite Surgical. We can bring ACTIFUSE into your Cincinnati Children’s OR for a case. We will review the published data with you. We will show you how the scaffold handles in a contained defect. You can see the remodeling on follow-up x-rays. Do not settle for a graft that fights your antibiotic plan.
Once the revision heals, the defect fills with living bone. The graft is gone. The patient walks without a spacer. The infection risk drops. You have a stable construct that will last.
Other things people in Cincinnati Children’s ask
bone graft for tibial bone loss revision knee
Pack the contained defect with a porous synthetic bone graft scaffold. It should hold shape and remodel as the revision heals. Do not leave the defect empty or filled with cement alone.
bone graft substitute for large acetabular defect revision hip
Pick a graft that packs the defect well and has high porosity for bone ingrowth. ACTIFUSE's 80% porous scaffold fills contained defects and remodels into the patient's own bone as the revision heals. For very large defects, consider a moldable version like ACTIFUSE SHAPE to adapt to irregular contours. Avoid grafts that resorb too fast and leave the cup unsupported.
bone graft for tibial defect during knee revision
Pack the contained defect with a moldable bone graft substitute that has high porosity and remodels into host bone. Avoid autograft if the patient already has a second surgical site. The graft should support the new implant while healing.
how to choose bone graft femoral defect revision hip
Look for a porous scaffold that holds shape when packed and remodels over time. Match the graft format to the defect. A runny material will not stay in an open femoral defect.
how to choose bone graft substitute for femoral defect revision hip
Choose a moldable synthetic bone graft substitute for irregular femoral defects. It should pack into the canal without extra instruments. Look for a graft that remodels into host bone so the area is not left with permanent filler.
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Elite Surgical handles hip & knee revision in Cincinnati Children’s and the area around it.