Drain fluid cultures can rule in but cannot rule out infection persistence after surgical treatment of periprosthetic joint infections.

Background: Periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) is one of the most common reason for implant failure in arthroplasty. Surgical therapy is essential but there is no standardized guideline to determine infection eradication in multiple-step revision surgery. To date, clinical and laboratory inflammation markers and preoperative arthrocentesis are controversial to evaluate the infection status before reimplantation and therefore are often combined.

Low Diagnostic Value of Synovial Aspiration Culture Prior to Reimplantation in Periprosthetic Joint Infection.

Background/aim: We aimed to determine the diagnostic value of the synovial aspiration culture prior to reimplantation in two- (or more) stage exchange of periprosthetic joint infection.

Patients And Methods: This was a retrospective study, spanning over ten years including all synovial cultures of patients with two- (or more) stage exchange due to periprosthetic joint infection.

Results: A total of 183 patients were included, mean age was 66.