Management of Periprosthetic Joint Infection: The More We Learn, the Less We Know

Abstract

Background: Despite the tremendous and long-standing success of total hip arthroplasty and total knee arthroplasty as treatments for end-stage arthritis, periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) remains a rare but feared complication of these procedures.

Methods: This review highlights some of the difficulties inherent to studying PJI. These include the difficulty in powering studies to capture this relatively uncommon complication, as well as the heterogeneity in clinical presentation and manifestations associated with the diagnosis and treatment of PJI.

Conclusion: We suggest an algorithm for moving forward with new research in an attempt to answer the challenging questions facing the arthroplasty community regarding PJI.

Keywords: diagnosis of PJI; management of PJI; periprosthetic joint infection; total hip arthroplasty; total knee arthroplasty.