Objective   To study the role of injectable silica sol-gel/antibiotics prosthesis in phase 1 revision arthroplasty for infected prosthetic hip joints of rabbits.  Methods   Twenty-eight New Zealand white rabbits were used in this study. A Staphylococcus aureus infection model was established after arthroplasty. The rabbits were randomly divided into control group and experimental group

14 in each group. Rabbits in control group underwent arthroplasty using common prosthesis and those in experimental group received arthroplasty using injectable silica sol-gel/antibiotics prosthesis. The animals were killed 12 weeks after operation. Periprosthetic biofilm was detected by confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) and the breakthrough rate was calculated. Prosthetic surface biofilm was determined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Periprosthetic tissues were analyzed and Staphylococcus aureus was cultured to determine the outcome of two revision arthroplasties.  Results   The biofilm breakthrough rate was 85.7% and 35.7% in experimental group (12/14) and control group (5/14)

respectively (P0.05). SEM showed no Staphylococcus aureus but bacterial cellulose in experimental group and massive Staphylococcus aureus that were enclosed by their bacterial cellulose in control group. Histology showed the proliferation of fibrocytes and more inflammatory cells in experimental group than in control group. Bacteria culture showed that the success rate of reversion arthroplasty was 85.7% and 42.9% in experimental group (12/14) and control group (6/14)

respectively (P0.05).  Conclusion   Injectable silica sol-gel/antibiotics prothesis can inhibit the formation of periprosthetic biofilm and breakthrough it

thus significantly improving the outcome of phase 1 revision arthroplasty for infected prosthetic hip joints.