Radiological rationale for the antibacterial spacer use effectiveness for septic arthritis of the hip joint in dogs

Purulent coxitis is one of the most common and severe complications of acute hematogenous osteomyelitis of the proximal end of the femur. Radiography remains the first-line imaging method for diagnosing and monitoring osteoarthritis due to its availability and low cost. The purpose of the study was to interpret radiographs of the hip joint in dogs with purulent coxitis using conservative and surgical treatment options. The basis for the treatment of purulent coxitis in dogs (n=15) in this study was radical surgical sanitation of the affected structures and suppression of the activity of bacterial infection using a special device - a hip joint spacer. The dogs of the first experimental group (n=5) were fitted with a reinforcing implant made of polymethyl methacrylate with an antibiotic (gentamicin). In the second experimental group (n=5), a two-component spacer made intraoperatively was used. The use of bone cement with the inclusion of an antibiotic contributed to its release over a long period of time and stopping the infectious process, which was recorded by X-ray images. The infectious process in the dogs of the control group was stopped quite slowly. Thus, destructive foci in the femoral head and acetabulum were observed on the 30th day; partial recovery was recorded in the dorsal edge of the acetabulum. By the 60th day of observation, the X-ray picture generally remained the same. Thus, by the 60th day after the operation, the acetabulum in dogs (n=5) of the first experimental group restored the lost structures, while in the second experimental group only two dogs showed positive dynamics by the 90th day of observation.