Background: Periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) is a rare yet challenging problem in total hip and knee arthroplasties. The management of PJI remains difficult primarily due to the evolution of resistance by the infecting organisms.
Methods: This review profiles acquired mechanisms of bacterial resistance and summarizes established and emerging techniques in PJI diagnosis, prevention, and treatment.
Results: New techniques in PJI diagnosis and prevention continue to be explored. Antibiotics combined with 1 or 2-stage revision are associated with the higher success rates and remain the mainstay of treatment.
Conclusion: With higher prevalence of antibiotic-resistant organisms, novel antibiotic implant and wound care materials, improved methods for organism identification, and well-defined organism-specific treatment algorithms are needed to optimize outcomes of PJI.
Keywords: antibiotic resistance; diagnosis; periprosthetic joint infection; total hip arthroplasty; total knee arthroplasty; treatment.
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