Prosthetic infection: Colonization and diagnosis
Joint replacement procedures improve quality of life, function, and mobility, for over a million individuals annually. With the aging population, along with increased rates of diagnosis and treatment of arthritis, the number of these procedures continues to rise. Prosthetic joint infections (PJIs) are one of the most serious complications of joint replacement surgery both from a patient and healthcare perspective. Those with PJI report poor satisfaction with their surgery and have an overall lower health-related quality of life. There is also an immense cost to the healthcare system. PJI costs in the USA exceeded $900 million in 2012 and have been projected to exceed $1.6 billion over the following decade. The heavy burden of these complications has sparked interest in gaining a better understanding of the mechanism, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of PJI. This chapter covers the topics of defining and classifying a prosthetic infection and biofilm formation as well as describes the tests and tools used for diagnosing a PJI.
