Objectives. Infection of implants is a major problem in elective and trauma surgery. Heating is an effective way to reduce the bacterial load in food preparation, and studies on hyperthermia treatment for cancer have shown that it is possible to heat metal objects with pulsed electromagnetic fields selectively (PEMF), also known as induction heating. We therefore set out to answer the following research question: is non-contact induction heating of metallic implants effective in reducing bacterial load in vitro?. Methods. Titanium alloy cylinders (Ti6Al4V) were exposed to PEMF from an induction heater with maximum 2000 watts at 27 kHz after being contaminated with five different types of micro-organisms: Staphylococcus epidermidis; Staphylococcus aureus; Pseudomonas aeruginosa; spore-forming Bacillus cereus; and yeast Candida albicans. The cylinders were exposed to incremental target temperatures (35°C, 45°C, 50°C, 55°C, 60°C, 65°C, 70°C) for up to 3.5 minutes. Results. There was an average linear heating rate of 0.39°C per second up to the target temperature, and thereafter the target temperature was maintained until the end of the experiment. At 60°C and higher (duration 3.5 minutes), there was a 6-log reduction or higher for every micro-organism tested. At 60°C, we found that the shortest duration of effective induction heating was 1.5 minutes. This resulted in a 5-log reduction or higher for every micro-organism tested. Conclusion. Non-contact induction heating of a titanium disk is effective in reducing bacterial load in vitro. These promising results can be further explored as a new treatment modality for infections of metal orthopaedic implants. Cite this article: B. G. Pijls, I. M. J. G. Sanders, E. J. Kuijper, R. G. H. H. Nelissen. Non-contact electromagnetic induction heating for eradicating bacteria and yeasts on biomaterials and possible relevance to orthopaedic implant infections: In vitro findings. Bone Joint Res 2017;6:323–330. DOI: 10.1302/2046-3758.65.BJR-2016-0308.R1

Objectives. The surface of pure titanium (Ti) shows decreased histocompatibility over time; this phenomenon is known as biological ageing. UV irradiation enables the reversal of biological ageing through photofunctionalisation, a physicochemical alteration of the titanium surface. Ti implants are sterilised by UV irradiation in dental surgery. However, orthopaedic biomaterials are usually composed of the alloy Ti6Al4V, for which the antibacterial effects of UV irradiation are unconfirmed. Here we evaluated the bactericidal and antimicrobial effects of treating Ti and Ti6Al4V with UV irradiation of a lower and briefer dose than previously reported, for applications in implant surgery. Materials and Methods. Ti and Ti6Al4V disks were prepared. To evaluate the bactericidal effect of UV irradiation, Staphylococcus aureus 834 suspension was seeded onto the disks, which were then exposed to UV light for 15 minutes at a dose of 9 J/cm. 2. To evaluate the antimicrobial activity of UV irradiation, bacterial suspensions were seeded onto the disks 0, 0.5, one, six, 24 and 48 hours, and three and seven days after UV irradiation as described above. In both experiments, the bacteria were then harvested, cultured, and the number of colonies were counted. Results. No colonies were observed when UV irradiation was performed after the bacteria were added to the disks. When the bacteria were seeded after UV irradiation, the amount of surviving bacteria on the Ti and Ti6Al4V disks decreased at 0 hours and then gradually increased. However, the antimicrobial activity was maintained for seven days after UV irradiation. Conclusion. Antimicrobial activity was induced for seven days after UV irradiation on both types of disk. Irradiated Ti6Al4V and Ti had similar antimicrobial properties. Cite this article: T. Itabashi, K. Narita, A. Ono, K. Wada, T. Tanaka, G. Kumagai, R. Yamauchi, A. Nakane, Y. Ishibashi. Bactericidal and antimicrobial effects of pure titanium and titanium alloy treated with short-term, low-energy UV irradiation. Bone Joint Res 2017;6:108–112. DOI: 10.1302/2046-3758.62.2000619

Objectives. Implant-related infection is one of the most devastating complications in orthopaedic surgery. Many surface and/or material modifications have been developed in order to minimise this problem; however, most of the in vitro studies did not evaluate bacterial adhesion in the presence of eukaryotic cells, as stated by the ‘race for the surface’ theory. Moreover, the adherence of numerous clinical strains with different initial concentrations has not been studied. Methods. We describe a method for the study of bacterial adherence in the presence of preosteoblastic cells. For this purpose we mixed different concentrations of bacterial cells from collection and clinical strains of staphylococci isolated from implant-related infections with preosteoblastic cells, and analysed the minimal concentration of bacteria able to colonise the surface of the material with image analysis. Results. Our results show that clinical strains adhere to the material surface at lower concentrations than collection strains. A destructive effect of bacteria on preosteoblastic cells was also detected, especially with higher concentrations of bacteria. Conclusions. The method described herein can be used to evaluate the effect of surface modifications on bacterial adherence more accurately than conventional monoculture studies. Clinical strains behave differently than collection strains with respect to bacterial adherence. Cite this article: M. Martinez-Perez, C. Perez-Jorge, D. Lozano, S. Portal-Nuñez, R. Perez-Tanoira, A. Conde, M. A. Arenas, J. M. Hernandez-Lopez, J. J. de Damborenea, E. Gomez-Barrena, P. Esbrit, J. Esteban. Evaluation of bacterial adherence of clinical isolates of Staphylococcus sp. using a competitive model: An in vitro approach to the “race for the surface” theory. Bone Joint Res 2017;6:315–322. DOI: 10.1302/2046-3758.65.BJR-2016-0226.R2

Objectives. The objective of this study was to develop a test for the rapid (within 25 minutes) intraoperative detection of bacteria from synovial fluid to diagnose periprosthetic joint infection (PJI). Methods. The 16s rDNA test combines a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for amplification of 16s rDNA with a lateral flow immunoassay in one fully automated system. The synovial fluid of 77 patients undergoing joint aspiration or primary or revision total hip or knee surgery was prospectively collected. The cohort was divided into a proof-of-principle cohort (n = 17) and a validation cohort (n = 60). Using the proof-of-principle cohort, an optimal cut-off for the discrimination between PJI and non-PJI samples was determined. PJI was defined as detection of the same bacterial species in a minimum of two microbiological samples, positive histology, and presence of a sinus tract or intra-articular pus. Results. The 16s rDNA test proved to be very robust and was able to provide a result in 97% of all samples within 25 minutes. The 16s rDNA test was able to diagnose PJI with a sensitivity of 87.5% and 82%, and a specificity of 100% and 89%, in the proof-of-principle and validation cohorts, respectively. The microbiological culture of synovial fluid achieved a sensitivity of 80% and a specificity of 93% in the validation cohort. Conclusion. The 16s rDNA test offers reliable intraoperative detection of all bacterial species within 25 minutes with a sensitivity and specificity comparable with those of conventional microbiological culture of synovial fluid for the detection of PJI. The 16s rDNA test performance is independent of possible blood contamination, culture time and bacterial species. Cite this article: V. Janz, J. Schoon, C. Morgenstern, B. Preininger, S. Reinke, G. Duda, A. Breitbach, C. F. Perka, S. Geissler. Rapid detection of periprosthetic joint infection using a combination of 16s rDNA polymerase chain reaction and lateral flow immunoassay: A Pilot Study. Bone Joint Res 2018;7:12–19. DOI: 10.1302/2046-3758.71.BJR-2017-0103.R2

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Vancomycin and fosfomycin are antibiotics commonly used to treat methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection. This study compares the in vitro inhibitory effects against MRSA of articulating cement spacers impregnated with either vancomycin or fosfomycin.

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The objective of this study is to determine an optimal antibiotic-loaded bone cement (ALBC) for infection prophylaxis in total joint arthroplasty (TJA).

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To review the current best surgical practice and detail a multi-disciplinary approach that could further reduce joint replacement infection.

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The objective of this study was to compare the elution characteristics, antimicrobial activity and mechanical properties of antibiotic-loaded bone cement (ALBC) loaded with powdered antibiotic, powdered antibiotic with inert filler (xylitol), or liquid antibiotic, particularly focusing on vancomycin and amphotericin B.