PERIPROSTHETIC JOINT INFECTION

The incidence of surgical site infection following orthopedic procedures is on the rise, threatening the ultimate success of our profession. Although research in the field continues, there is lack of evidence for some common practices and patient care appears to be capricious. The clinician is often left to his/her own discretion to determine the best course of treatment for the patient without much guidance from the literature. The impetus behind the genesis of this book was the numerous questions we received from our colleagues and friends in the community inquiring about some aspects of patients with periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) for which there is little available information. The book, assembled in a short period of time, is intended to provide practical information that clinicians can utilize to provide care to patients with PJI. Each chapter is written based on available evidence, whenever possible. For situations with little to no evidence, we provide information about our institutional protocols for management of these patients. The chapters are kept concise to respect the clinician’s time. We hope you will find the information conveyed in this book relevant and practical.