Serum biomarkers of infection such as CRP, ESR, synovial fluid leucocyte count and neutrophil percentage are useful tests to support the diagnosis of PJI. However, it is important to define the infecting microorganism to direct antimicrobial therapy. Pre-operative synovial fluid culture may establish the diagnosis, but if these cultures are negative, then multiple peri-prosthetic tissue samples should be cultured to identify the pathogen(s).
Diagnosis of Prosthetic Joint Infections (PJI)