Comparison of Synovial Fluid and Serum Procalcitonin for Diagnosis of Periprosthetic Joint Infection: A Pilot Study in 32 Patients.

Background: Periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) remains challenging since a "gold standard" for diagnosis has not yet been established. This study aimed to evaluate the accuracy of synovial fluid procalcitonin (SF-PCT) and serum procalcitonin as a diagnostic biomarker for PJI and to compare its accuracy against standard methods.

Methods: A prospective cohort study was conducted during 2015-2017 in 32 patients with painful hip or knee arthroplasty who have underwent revision surgery.