Periprosthetic joint infection (PJI)
Every year, millions of people throughout the world benefit from joint replacement surgery. A joint replacement that works well relieves pain, restores function and independence, and enhances the patient quality of life. While prosthetic implantation is already a common surgery, it is expected to become more common in the future. In 2010, 333,000 total hip and 720,000 total knee arthroplasties were performed in the United States alone. Hip and knee replacements are expected to reach 572,000 and 3.5 million by 2030, respectively. In Europe, primary hip arthroplasty is more common than primary knee arthroplasty. Shoulder, elbow, and ankle arthroplasties are now accessible in addition to hip and knee replacement. The number of patients who have had arthroplasties in the past is continuing to rise.
While most joint arthroplasties give pain-free function, a small percentage of patients will have device failure and require further surgery at some point during the device's lifetime. Loosening at the bone-cement interface, periprosthetic fracture, prosthetic material fracture, wear, implant malposition, dislocation-instability, or materials fatigue are all causes of aseptic failure. Periprosthetic joint infection (PJI), also known as periprosthetic infection, is an infection that affects the joint prosthesis and surrounding tissue. Over the last quarter-century, advances in the understanding of the epidemiology, diagnosis, therapy, and prevention of PJI have resulted in better results for this difficult infection.