Bone and joint infections

Question 1

Is the knee or hip more associated with prosthetic joint infections?

Answer 1

Knee

Question 2

What are the cut-offs for early, delayed and late infections and why does this distinction matter?

Answer 2

Early <3 months
Delayed 3-12 months
Late >12 months
Different pathogens tend to occur at different points and the surgical management can differ

Question 3

How are prosthetic joint infections diagnosed?

Answer 3

Clinical features, synovial and serum analysis, microbiology, histology, imaging findings and intraoperative findings.

Question 4

What are the management options for prosthetic joint infections?

Answer 4

1. Debridement and retention of prosthesis
2. Resection arthroplasty with reimplantation (1 or 2 stage)
3. Amputation
4. Long-term suppressive antibiotics