Serum D-Lactate, a Novel Serological Biomarker, Is Promising for the Diagnosis of Periprosthetic Joint Infection

Background: Although many markers are used for diagnosis of periprosthetic joint infection (PJI), serological screening and diagnosis for PJI are still challenging. We evaluated the performance of serum D-lactate and compared it with ESR, coagulation-related biomarkers and synovial D-lactate for the diagnosis of PJI.Methods: Consecutive patients with preoperative blood and intraoperative joint aspiration of a prosthetic hip or knee joint before revision arthroplasty were prospectively included. The diagnosis of PJI was based on the criteria of the Musculoskeletal Infection Society, and the diagnostic values of markers were estimated based on receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves by maximizing sensitivity and specificity using optimal cutoff values.Results: Of 52 patients, 26 (50%) were diagnosed with PJI, and 26 (50%) were diagnosed with aseptic failure. ROC curves showed that serum D-lactate, fibrinogen (FIB) and ESR had equal areas under the curve (AUCs) of 0.80, followed by D-dimer and fibrin degradation product, which had AUCs of 0.67 and 0.69, respectively. Serum D-lactate had the highest sensitivity of 88.46% at the optimal threshold of 1.14 mmol/L, followed by FIB and ESR, with sensitivities of 80.77% and 73.08%, respectively, while there were no significant differences in specificity (73.08%, 73.08% and 76.92%, respectively). Conclusion: Serum D-lactate showed similar performance to FIB and ESR for diagnosis of PJI. The advantages of serum D-lactate are pathogen-specific, highly sensitive, minimally invasive and rapidly available making serum D-lactate useful as a point-of-care screening test for PJI.

Debridement, antibiotics, and implant retention in infected shoulder arthroplasty caused by Serratia marcescens: a case report

Periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) is one of the most devastating complications that can occur after shoulder arthroplasty. Although staged revision arthroplasty is the standard treatment in many cases, surgical intervention with debridement, antibiotics, and implant retention (DAIR) can be an effective option for acute PJI. We report a complex case of infected reverse shoulder arthroplasty (RSA) in a 73-year-old male. The patient had been previously treated for infected nonunion of a proximal humerus fracture caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis. He presented with a sinus tract 16 days after the implantation of RSA and was diagnosed with PJI caused by Serratia marcescens. The patient was successfully treated with DAIR and was free of infection at the last follow-up visit at four years postoperatively.

One-Stage Hip Revision Arthroplasty Using Megaprosthesis in Severe Bone Loss of The Proximal Femur Due to Radiological Diffuse Osteomyelitis

Managing substantial proximal and/or distal femoral bone defects is one of the biggest challenges in chronic hip periprosthetic joint infection. Most authors use two-stage arthroplasty with a temporary antibiotic-loaded cement spacer for the management of these patients. In this study, we show our experience with one-stage exchange arthroplasty in managing severe bone defects due to radiological-extensive proximal femoral osteomyelitis. Two patients were included in the study. They showed radiological-extensive proximal femoral osteomyelitis, and they were treated with one-stage exchange arthroplasty using megaprosthesis. Diffuse osteomyelitis was confirmed in both cases; in one case, the histology was compatible with osteomyelitis, and the other case had a positive culture identified in a bone sample. At a minimum of a four-year follow-up, the patients did not reveal any clinical, radiological or laboratory signs of infection. In conclusion, one-stage exchange arthroplasty and megaprosthesis is an option for the treatment of chronic hip periprosthetic joint infection associated with radiological-diffuse proximal femoral osteomyelitis.

Three Staged Revision Arthroplasty Using Structural Allograft in Chronic Periprosthetic Joint Infection Accompanied by Fracture: A Case Report

Revision arthroplasty for chronic periprosthetic joint infection is complex and determined by many variables. Generally, two-staged revision arthroplasty is the standard treatment for the management of chronic periprosthetic joint infection. However, it is difficult to resolve chronic infection accompanied by large bone deficiency due to pathologic fracture. I report a case of successful three-staged revision arthroplasty using frozen structural allograft in chronic periprosthetic knee joint infection accompanied by extensive bone defect due to fracture.

Local antibiotic therapy for endoprosthesis site infection (Literature review)

Endoprosthetics of joints has firmly taken its place in a number of orthopedic interventions in the treatment of diseases of the musculoskeletal system. Unfortu-nately, with an increase in the number of operations, the number of complications that develop at various stages of treatment does not decrease. Deep infections in the area of the endoprosthesis (paraprosthetic infection) are especially difficult in treatment, since only 20% of patients, and mainly in early forms of complications, manage to save the implant. The incidence of infectious complications at the stationary stage in specialized endoprosthetics centers does not exceed 1% during primary operations, but their number, as a rule, multiplies several years after the intervention. The most common treatment option for paraprosthetic infection is staged revision arthroplasty. The authors of the review conduct a comparative analysis of the effectiveness of one- and two-stage treatment options. The latter is based on the use of bone cement spacers impregnated with antibiotics.

The use of the constrained prosthesis in the difficult primary knee arthroplasty

Background: The constrained knee prosthesis has the basic indication in revision arthroplasty, but the latest literature reveals that it takes place also in primary total knee arthroplasty in cases of knee osteoarthritis associated with major deformities. Material and methods: Present study is based on the surgical treatment, using the constrained knee prosthesis in the primary total knee arthroplasty, during 2019-2021, of 28 patients with knee osteoarthritis associated with severe deformities in varus or valgus, in the Big Joint Replacement Department, Clinical Hospital of Traumatology and Orthopedics, Chisinau. Results: In this study, the following criteria were evaluated: the type of deformity – valgus (10 cases) and varus (18 cases); the degree of deformation – for varus knees was on average 300 , and for valgus knee – 250 ; bone attrition – 11 cases with bone defects where it was necessary to use augmentations; affected side – in 19 cases the right knee was affected and 9 cases the left one; the women/men ratio was 4/1; the mean age of the patients was 67.5 years; average duration of the intervention – 140 minutes; in 5 cases a lateral para-patellar approach was performed, of which 2 cases with tibial tuberosity osteotomy; complications – 1 case with intra-operative periprosthetic fracture and 2 cases with superficial infections of the operated joints. Conclusions: Osteoarthritis of the knee progresses rapidly, leading to severe deformities, significant bone defects and joint instability, which are indications to use the constrained prosthesis in the primary total knee arthroplasty, long-term follow-up is necessary to obtain the last conclusion, but from this study the constrained knee prosthesis like primary implant for special indication had promising results.

Comparative meta-omics for identifying pathogens associated with prosthetic joint infection

Prosthetic joint infections (PJI) are economically and personally costly, and their incidence has been increasing in the United States. Herein, we compared 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing (16S), shotgun metagenomics (MG) and metatranscriptomics (MT) in identifying pathogens causing PJI. Samples were collected from 30 patients, including 10 patients undergoing revision arthroplasty for infection, 10 patients receiving revision for aseptic failure, and 10 patients undergoing primary total joint arthroplasty. Synovial fluid and peripheral blood samples from the patients were obtained at time of surgery. Analysis revealed distinct microbial communities between primary, aseptic, and infected samples using MG, MT, (PERMANOVA p = 0.001), and 16S sequencing (PERMANOVA p < 0.01). MG and MT had higher concordance with culture (83%) compared to 0% concordance of 16S results. Supervised learning methods revealed MT datasets most clearly differentiated infected, primary, and aseptic sample groups. MT data also revealed more antibiotic resistance genes, with improved concordance results compared to MG. These data suggest that a differential and underlying microbial ecology exists within uninfected and infected joints. This study represents the first application of RNA-based sequencing (MT). Further work on larger cohorts will provide opportunities to employ deep learning approaches to improve accuracy, predictive power, and clinical utility.