Implant materials and prosthetic joint infection: the battle with the biofilm

Prosthetic joint infection (PJI) is associated with poor clinical outcomes and is expensive to treat.

Although uncommon overall (affecting between 0.5% and 2.2% of cases), PJI is one of the most commonly encountered complications of joint replacement and its incidence is increasing, putting a significant burden on healthcare systems.

Once established, PJI is extremely difficult to eradicate as bacteria exist in biofilms which protect them from antibiotics and the host immune response.

Improved understanding of the microbial pathology in PJI has generated potential new treatment strategies for prevention and eradication of biofilm associated infection including modification of implant surfaces to prevent adhesion of bacteria.

Much research is currently ongoing looking at different implant surface coatings and modifications, and although most of this work has not translated into clinical medicine there has been some early clinical success.