TABLE 3.

Advantages and disadvantages of antibiotic loaded PMMA beads and spacer.

Beads or bead-chains		Spacers
Advantages	Disadvantages	Advantages	Disadvantages
Higher antibiotic concentrations	Impaired local anatomy	Preservation of local anatomy	Relatively low antibiotic concentrations and short period
Relatively inexpensive	Extensive scar tissue	Pre-fabricated spacers are expensive	Dislocation/migration of spacers
Low complication rates		(Possible) joint mobility (and weight baring)	Fractures of spacers
Easy to use, implant and remove			Spacer fractures
Longer period MIC