Is the EBJIS Definition of Prosthetic Joint Infection Meaningful in Our Clinical Practice?

Is the EBJIS Definition of Prosthetic Joint Infection Meaningful in Our Clinical Practice? - a Multicentric Validation Study

This retrospective multi-center, multi-national cohort study is to validate the European Bone and Joint Infection Society (EBJIS) Definition of Prosthetic Joint Infection. Specifically, it is to analyze the outcome of the Infection Likely group and compare it to the Infection Unlikely group as well as other subgroups within previous validated definitions (Musculoskeletal Infection Society (MSIS)/International Consensus on Musculoskeletal Infection (ICM) 2013 and ICM 2018).

Periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) is a major burden for healthcare systems. The European Bone and Joint Infection Society (EBJIS) proposed a new set of criteria introducing a three level 'traffic light' distinction: Infection Unlikely, Infection Confirmed but also an intermediate group called Infection Likely (but nor confirmed). This retrospective multi-center, multi-national cohort study is to validate the EBJIS Definition of Prosthetic Joint Infection. Specifically, it is to analyze the outcome of the Infection Likely group and compare it to the Infection Unlikely group as well as other subgroups within previous validated definitions (Musculoskeletal Infection Society (MSIS)/International Consensus on Musculoskeletal Infection (ICM) 2013 and ICM 2018).

Inclusion Criteria:

• THA/TKA patients that underwent revision surgery regardless of final aseptic vs. infected diagnosis between 01.01.2013 until 31.12.2018

Exclusion Criteria:

• less than two years follow up
• less than four intraoperative microbiology samples (synovial fluid, tissue samples, implant sonication)
• no preoperative/intraoperative synovial fluid differential leukocyte count