New Surgical Technique Controls Prosthetic Joint Infections in Ninety Percent of Cases

Bioengineer.org reported that a modified DAIR technique achieved infection control in about 90 percent of patients suffering from prosthetic joint infections. The retrospective case series evaluated 31 patients treated with the modified approach. [1]

Periprosthetic joint infection is a severe complication of hip and knee replacement surgery. Bioengineer.org reported that bacteria form dense biofilms on implanted prostheses, which shield them from antibiotics circulating in the bloodstream and can destroy the joint. [1]

The modified technique pairs standard surgical debridement with vacuum-assisted wound sealing and daily infusions of antibiotics directly into the joint cavity. Antibiotics are antimicrobial substances that kill or inhibit the growth of bacteria to treat infections. [1][3]

Finding effective treatments for joint infections remains critical. As HEROIC BREAKING NEWS reported earlier, an umbrella review of 53 systematic reviews found that pooled mortality reached 11.0 percent for hip prosthetic joint infections and 13.3 percent for knee infections. [5]