Peri-prosthetic joint infection (PJI) definition plays an important role in diagnostic and therapeutic decisions. However, while several criteria have been proposed by eminent institutions to define a PJI in the last decade, their clinical validation has been rarely performed. Aim of the present multicenter, international, retrospective study was to validate the World Association against Infection in Orthopedics and Trauma (WAIOT) pre/intra-operative PJI definition with post-operative confirmatory tests. A total of 210 patients, undergoing hip (n = 86) or knee (n = 124) revision surgery for any reason in six orthopedic centers in Africa, Asia, Europe and South America, were retrospectively evaluated at a two years minimum follow-up after surgery. All the available pre-, intra- and post-operative findings were collected and analyzed according to the WAIOT criteria, which include a set of tests to confirm (Rule In) or to exclude (Rule Out) a PJI. On average, patients were investigated pre/intra-operatively with 3.1 ± 1.1 rule out and 2.7 ± 0.9 rule in tests; the presence of a fistula or exposed implant was reported in 37 patients (17.6%). According to pre/intraoperative findings, 36.2% of the patients were defined as affected by high-grade PJI (n = 76; average score: 2.3 ± 0.8), 21.9% by low-grade PJI (n = 46; average score: 0.8 ± 0.8), 10.5% by biofilm-related implant malfunction (n = 22; average score: –1.6 ± 0.8), 2.9% as contamination (n = 6; average score: –3.5 ± 1.0), and 28.6% as no infection (n = 60; average score: –3.0 ± 1.4). Pre/intra-operative PJI definitions matched post-operative confirmatory tests, in 97.1% of the patients. This is, to our knowledge, one of the largest study ever conducted to validate a PJI definition The retrospective analysis in different centers was greatly facilitated by the structure of the WAIOT definition, that allows to include different tests on the basis of their sensitivity/specificity, while the comparison between pre/intra-operative and post-operative findings offered the internal validation of the scoring system. Our results authenticate the WAIOT definition as a reliable, simple tool to identify patients affected by PJI prior to joint revision surgery.

Periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) is one of the major complications following arthroplasty implantation. Management of PJIs is a challenge for surgeons and various classification systems have been introduced, which consider variables such as onset of symptoms, pathogenesis and clinical manifestation. In an attempt to overcome the shortcomings which may limit their usefulness in borderline cases, a new classification system focusing on the topography of the infectious process has been proposed. This theory relies on the identification of the exact location of the bacterial colonization thus allowing to decide between a conservative or a more radical intervention irrespectively of the timing. The use of nuclear medicine device like radiolabelled white blood cells (WBC) scan could lead the path in identifying pathogenetic processes and their exact location thus guiding orthopaedic surgeons to the most appropriate diagnosis and treatment options. Currently management relies on debridement, antibiotics and implant retention (DAIR), which is traditionally performed at early stages, 1- or 2-stage revision arthroplasty which is commonly limited to chronic cases. Reports have demonstrated similar rates of infection recurrence following one and two-stage revisions, and the use of one-stage revision surgery is gaining popularity. More recently, satisfying results following partial implant retention during revision total arthroplasty for septic failures have been reported. In addition, in severe cases, definitive articulating antibiotic spacer, excision arthroplasty, arthrodesis or amputation can be performed.

We conducted a systematic review about antibiotic-loaded bone cement (ALBC) with a focus on clinical evidence about ALBC in general, concerns about ALBC and ALBC cost.

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Periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) is among the most feared orthopedic complications. Critical questions are whether the infection is completely resolved before reimplantation and what the clinical significance of positive culture is at reimplantation. The aim of this study was to determine whether a correlation exits between culture results at reimplantation after spacer insertion for hip and knee PJI and treatment failure rate. The data of 84 patients who underwent two-stage exchange arthroplasty for hip or knee PJI were reviewed and the results of intraoperative culture at reimplantation were analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively. Correlations were sought between these patterns and treatment outcome. Our data indicate no evidence for a correlation between positive culture at reimplantation and greater risk of treatment failure. Nonetheless, we noted a higher, albeit statistically not significant rate of treatment failure in patients with at least two samples testing positive. The role of microbiology at reimplantation remains unclear, but a positive culture might signal increased risk for subsequent implant failure. Further studies are needed to elucidate the implications of this finding.