Erythrocyte sedimentation rate in infection of total hip replacements. ³

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Thoren B. Wigren A. Orthopedics. 14(4):495-7, 1991 Apr. Erythrocyte sedimentation rate was studied in 79 patients who underwent reoperations for prosthetic hip failures. Fifty-one patients had infected prostheses, confirmed on the basis of sinus formation and cultures taken at the revision operation. Twenty-eight had proven mechanical loosening of their hip prostheses, as five out of five intraoperative cultures were negative. An ESR level of 35 mm was found to represent an acceptable * borderline between infected and non-infected prostheses.