This study validated three models for predicting infection after hip and knee replacement surgery. By analyzing data from 2684 patients in the Netherlands, Portugal, and Spain, we found that the models developed by Tan, Del Toro, and Bülow effectively identified high-risk patients. These models can be used to enhance preoperative counseling and to tailor infection prevention measures individually, potentially improving outcomes and reducing healthcare costs.

Some patients with an infection of their orthopedic implant use lifelong daily antibiotics. Our research, however, suggests that it might be safe to stop after 2 to 3 years. Furthermore, we found that it is probably safe to use a lower dosage of antibiotics than normally used for these infections. We performed this study by retrospectively analyzing electronic patient files from all patients we treated in our hospital with suppressive antibiotics.

In a first evaluation, the accuracy of a novel multiplex PCR (polymerase chain reaction) panel for rapid detection of pathogens in patients with a clinical suspicion of acute septic arthritis of native and prosthetic joints is assessed. Clear benefit is seen in patients with a suspected native septic arthritis and late acute prosthetic joint infection. This indicates that the panel allows for fast tailoring of antibiotics and may prompt the surgeon for surgical lavage in doubtful clinical cases.

This systematic review presents the results regarding the concordance rate between preoperative synovial fluid and intraoperative tissue culturing in patients with a prosthetic joint infection (PJI). The included studies had heterogeneous results and were at a high risk of bias. Higher-quality future research may help to better understand the true concordance between these cultures. This may result in better guidance for orthopedic surgeons regarding the treatment of patients with PJI.

A Madura foot caused by the fungus Madurella mycetomatis is a rare condition in non-endemic countries, but should be included in the differential diagnosis in case of soft tissue swellings of the foot in patients who have been in mycetomatis-endemic regions, more specifically in immunocompromised patients, who are at risk of developing a (more severe) mycetoma infection. Adequate treatment is needed to prevent the progression and recurrence of a Madura foot.