Evaluation of multi-sample 16S ribosomal DNA sequencing for the diagnosis of postoperative bone and joint infections during antimicrobial treatment.

Objectives: Clinicians worldwide struggle to identify the bacterial aetiology of bone and joint infections. Failure to unequivocally identify the pathogen is linked to poor clinical outcomes. We explored the added value of analysing multiple samples per patient with 16S ribosomal DNA (16S rDNA) sequencing in diagnosing postoperative bone and joint infections.

Etiology of bone and joint infections: a case series of 363 consecutive patients from an orthopaedic infection unit.

Background: Bone and joint infections remain a clinical challenge with potentially serious consequences. Nevertheless there is a lack of studies with strict criteria for diagnosis and etiology. The primary aim of this study was to determine the causative agents in orthopaedic infections using strict diagnostic criteria for infection and etiology.