Synovial fluid dual-biomarker algorithm accurately differentiates osteoarthritis from inflammatory arthritis.

Osteoarthritis (OA) prevalence increases as the population ages. Diagnosing osteoarthritis often occurs in the late stages when cartilage degradation is severe, making it difficult to distinguish from other types of arthritis. Accurate differentiation of primary osteoarthritis from other arthritic conditions is crucial for effective treatment planning.

Application of a metatranscriptomics technology, CSI-Dx, for the detection of pathogens associated with prosthetic joint infections.

Preoperative identification of causal organism(s) is crucial for effective prosthetic joint infection treatment. Herein, we explore the clinical application of a novel metatranscriptomic (MT) workflow, CSI-Dx, to detect pathogens associated with prosthetic joint infection. MT provides insight into transcriptionally active microbes, overcoming limitations of culture-based and available molecular methods.

Mitigating Concerns Over Transport Delays: An Analysis of Synovial Fluid Culture Results in Arthroplasty.

Introduction:  There is a concern in the field of arthroplasty that synovial fluid transport delays may reduce the accuracy of synovial fluid culture. However, synovial fluid samples collected in the office, and sometimes in a hospital setting, often require transport to a third-party central or specialty laboratory, causing delays in the initiation of culture incubation. This study investigated the impact of transportation delays on synovial fluid culture results.

The C-Reactive Protein May Not Detect Infections Caused by Less-Virulent Organisms.

Background: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the influence of organism type on the performance of the synovial fluid C-reactive protein (CRP) test.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the results of 21,422 synovial fluid samples sent to one common laboratory for the purpose of diagnostic testing for periprosthetic joint infection. Both a synovial fluid CRP result and a positive culture were present for 1789 submitted samples.

The Alpha-defensin Test for Periprosthetic Joint Infection Responds to a Wide Spectrum of Organisms.

Background: The alpha-defensin test has been previously demonstrated to be highly accurate in the diagnosis of prosthetic joint infection (PJI), nearly matching the Musculoskeletal Infection Society definition for PJI. However, the relationship between alpha-defensin levels and differing infecting organism has not yet been investigated.

Questions/purposes: The purpose of this study is to describe the breadth of organisms that can trigger a positive synovial fluid alpha-defensin test result in the setting of PJI and also to assess the magnitude of the alpha-defensin result in terms of various pathogen characteristics.