Accurate diagnosis of chronic periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) presents a significant challenge for hip surgeons. Preoperative diagnosis is not always easy to establish, making the intraoperative decision-making process crucial in deciding between one- and two-stage revision total hip arthroplasty (THA). Calprotectin is a promising point-of-care novel biomarker that has displayed high accuracy in detecting PJI. We aimed to evaluate the utility of intraoperative calprotectin lateral flow immunoassay (LFI) in THA patients with suspected chronic PJI. The study included 48 THAs in 48 patients with a clinical suspicion of PJI, but who did not meet European Bone and Joint Infection Society (EBJIS) PJI criteria preoperatively, out of 105 patients undergoing revision THA at our institution for possible PJI between November 2020 and December 2022. Intraoperatively, synovial fluid calprotectin was measured with LFI. Cases with calprotectin levels ≥ 50 mg/l were considered infected and treated with two-stage revision THA; in negative cases, one-stage revision was performed. At least five tissue cultures were obtained; the implants removed were sent for sonication.Aims
Methods
Periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) remains an extremely challenging complication. We have focused on this issue more over the last decade than previously, but there are still many unanswered questions. We now have a workable definition that everyone should align to, but we need to continue to focus on identifying the organisms involved. Surgical strategies are evolving and care is becoming more patient-centred. There are some good studies under way. There are, however, still numerous problems to resolve, and the challenge of PJI remains a major one for the orthopaedic community. This annotation provides some up-to-date thoughts about where we are, and the way forward. There is still scope for plenty of research in this area. Cite this article:
The diagnosis of periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) continues to present a significant clinical challenge. New biomarkers have been proposed to support clinical decision-making; among them, synovial fluid alpha-defensin has gained interest. Current research methodology suggests reference methods are needed to establish solid evidence for use of the test. This prospective study aims to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with the mass spectrometry (LC-MS) method to detect alpha-defensin in synovial fluid. Between October 2017 and September 2019, we collected synovial fluid samples from patients scheduled to undergo revision surgery for painful total knee arthroplasty (TKA). The International Consensus Meeting criteria were used to classify 33 PJIs and 92 aseptic joints. LC-MS assay was performed to measure alpha-defensin in synovial fluid of all included patients. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) were calculated to define the test diagnostic accuracy.Aims
Methods
The preoperative diagnosis of periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) remains a challenge due to a lack of biomarkers that are both sensitive and specific. We investigated the performance characteristics of polymerase chain reaction (PCR), interleukin-6 (IL6), and calprotectin of synovial fluid in the diagnosis of PJI. We performed systematic search of PubMed, Embase, The Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and Science Direct from the date of inception of each database through to 31 May 2021. Studies which described the diagnostic accuracy of synovial fluid PCR, IL6, and calprotectin using the Musculoskeletal Infection Society criteria as the reference standard were identified.Aims
Methods
The aim of this study was to determine the diagnostic accuracy of α defensin (AD) lateral flow assay (LFA) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) tests for periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) in comparison to conventional synovial white blood cell (WBC) count and polymorphonuclear neutrophil percentage (PMN%) analysis. Patients undergoing joint aspiration for evaluation of pain after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) or total hip arthroplasty (THA) were considered for inclusion. Synovial fluids from 99 patients (25 THA and 74 TKA) were analyzed by WBC count and PMN% analysis, AD LFA, and AD ELISA. WBC and PMN% cutoffs of ≥ 1,700 cells/mm3 and ≥ 65% for TKA and ≥ 3,000 cells/mm3 and ≥ 80% for THA were used, respectively. A panel of three physicians, all with expertise in orthopaedic infections and who were blinded to the results of AD tests, independently reviewed patient data to diagnose subjects as with or without PJI. Consensus PJI classification was used as the reference standard to evaluate test performances. Results were compared using McNemar’s test and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) analysis.Aims
Methods
The aim of this study was to further evaluate the accuracy of ten promising synovial biomarkers (bactericidal/permeability-increasing protein (BPI), lactoferrin (LTF), neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL), neutrophil elastase 2 (ELA-2), α-defensin, cathelicidin LL-37 (LL-37), human β-defensin (HBD-2), human β-defensin 3 (HBD-3), D-dimer, and procalcitonin (PCT)) for the diagnosis of periprosthetic joint infection (PJI), and to investigate whether inflammatory joint disease (IJD) activity affects their concentration in synovial fluid. We included 50 synovial fluid samples from patients with (n = 25) and without (n = 25) confirmed PJI from an institutional tissue bank collected between May 2015 and December 2016. We also included 22 synovial fluid samples aspirated from patients with active IJD presenting to Department of Rheumatology, the first Medical Centre, Chinese PLA General Hospital. Concentrations of the ten candidate biomarkers were measured in the synovial fluid samples using standard enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). The diagnostic accuracy was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves.Aims
Methods
The diagnosis of periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) can be difficult. All current diagnostic tests have problems with accuracy and interpretation of results. Many new tests have been proposed, but there is no consensus on the place of many of these in the diagnostic pathway. Previous attempts to develop a definition of PJI have not been universally accepted and there remains no reference standard definition. This paper reports the outcome of a project developed by the European Bone and Joint Infection Society (EBJIS), and supported by the Musculoskeletal Infection Society (MSIS) and the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) Study Group for Implant-Associated Infections (ESGIAI). It comprised a comprehensive review of the literature, open discussion with Society members and conference delegates, and an expert panel assessment of the results to produce the final guidance.Aims
Methods
Prosthetic joint infection (PJI) remains a major clinical challenge. Neutrophil CD64 index, Fc-gamma receptor 1 (FcγR1), plays an important role in mediating inflammation of bacterial infections and therefore could be a valuable biomarker for PJI. The aim of this study is to compare the neutrophil CD64 index in synovial and blood diagnostic ability with the standard clinical tests for discrimination PJI and aseptic implant failure. A total of 50 patients undergoing revision hip and knee arthroplasty were enrolled into a prospective study. According to Musculoskeletal Infection Society (MSIS) criteria, 25 patients were classified as infected and 25 as not infected. In all patients, neutrophil CD64 index and percentage of polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN%) in synovial fluid, serum CRP, ESR, and serum CD64 index levels were measured preoperatively. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and the area under the curve (AUC) were analyzed for each biomarker.Aims
Methods
The aim of this study was to assess the role
of synovial C-reactive protein (CRP) in the diagnosis of chronic periprosthetic
hip infection. We prospectively collected synovial fluid from 89
patients undergoing revision hip arthroplasty and measured synovial
CRP, serum CRP, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), synovial white
blood cell (WBC) count and synovial percentages of polymorphonuclear
neutrophils (PMN). Patients were classified as septic or aseptic
by means of clinical, microbiological, serum and synovial fluid
findings. The high viscosity of the synovial fluid precluded the
analyses in nine patients permitting the results in 80 patients
to be studied. There was a significant difference in synovial CRP
levels between the septic (n = 21) and the aseptic (n = 59) cohort.
According to the receiver operating characteristic curve, a synovial
CRP threshold of 2.5 mg/l had a sensitivity of 95.5% and specificity
of 93.3%. The area under the curve was 0.96. Compared with serum
CRP and ESR, synovial CRP showed a high diagnostic value. According
to these preliminary results, synovial CRP may be a useful parameter
in diagnosing chronic periprosthetic hip infection. Cite this article:
