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The choice of spacer in the interim phase of two-stage revision hip arthroplasty is crucial. Conventional concepts like a Girdlestone situation, handformed or preformed bone cement spacers show complications like soft-tissue contractions, abrasion of bone cement particles, dislocation, breakage and a low level of mobility in the interim phase. To address these disadvantages, the senior author developed a new technique for custom-made spacers in septic two-stage revision of total hip arthroplasties using prosthetic implants with individualized antibiotic mixture in the cement applying a mechanical inferior cementation method. The aim of this study was to evaluate the results of these spacers with respect to their non-inferiority in terms of reinfection and survival-rate of the new implant and to describe the complications associated with this procedure. Our collective consisted of 130 patients with a median follow-up of nearly five years. With a reinfect-free rate of 92% and a spacer-related complication rate of 10% (8% articular dislocation, 1% periprosthetic joint fracture, 1% breakage), this procedure seems to be safe and superior regarding complications compared to conventional concepts. Further studies are necessary to show the clinical benefit of this procedure.

Purpose of ReviewSuppurative tenosynovitis is a serious infection mostly affecting the flexor tendons of the hand and is considered a medico-surgical emergency.Recent FindingsInfectious tenosynovitis is mostly caused by Staphylococci, Streptococci, Gram negatives, and following bite injury, Eikenella and Pasteurella species. Atypical organisms especially in immunocompromised patients are increasingly being reported like fungi and slowly or rapidly growing mycobacteria. Management can be conservative with intravenous antibiotics and close monitoring especially in mild cases. Minimally invasive catheter irrigation of the tendon sheath can be used with improved functional outcomes.SummarySuppurative tenosynovitis is an infection of the tendon sheath. Inoculation usually occurs following injury, puncture wounds, bites, recent surgery, or via hematogenous or contiguous spread of infection. Kanavel signs are helpful when evaluating patients. Hand surgeons should be promptly consulted for decision about need for surgical exploration. Uncomplicated cases can be treated with 7 to 14 days of an oral antibiotic. Smoking, diabetes, vascular disease, and advanced Michon stage infection are associated with higher risk of amputation or decreased mobility. Infectious diseases specialists should be consulted in the management of atypical presentations like fungal and mycobacterial tenosynovitis.

Purpose of ReviewSurgical site infections (SSIs) are associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Given the role of endogenous carriage of Staphylococcus aureus, current patient decolonization strategies revolve around the application of topical antiseptic agents prior to and at the time of surgery.Recent FindingsIntranasal single-application povidone-iodine (PVP-I) on the day of surgery is an emerging, attractive alternative to the established approach of a 5-day course of intranasal mupirocin for preoperative decolonization.SummaryPVP-I appears more convenient and cost-effective for both patients and healthcare systems, and its role in reducing SSI is under investigation. However, most published literature consists of retrospective, single-center studies primarily done in orthopedic surgical populations. Based on current data, PVP-I appears to be as equally effective in SSI reduction as mupirocin, but larger and better-quality studies are needed to implement a change from currently established preoperative decontamination practices.

Purpose of ReviewIn 2019, the International Working Group on the Diabetic Foot voiced six concerns regarding the use of molecular microbiology techniques for routine diagnosis of infection complicating diabetic foot ulcers. The purpose of this review is to evaluate contemporary evidence addressing each of these concerns and describe promising avenues for continued development of molecular microbiology assays.Recent FindingsSince 2019, the feasibility of conducting metagenomic and metatranscriptomic studies on diabetic foot ulcer samples has been shown. However, these preliminary studies used small samples with concerns for selection bias. We await larger-scale, longitudinal studies, potentially using the recently formed Diabetic Foot Consortium, to identify microbiome profiles associated with infection and patient outcomes. How these results would translate into a clinical diagnostic requires further clarification.SummaryHigh-throughput molecular microbiology techniques are not yet ready for clinical adoption as first-line diagnostics. However, moving from amplicon sequencing to metagenomic and metatranscriptomic studies has the potential to significantly accelerate development of assays that might meaningfully impact patient care.

Purpose of ReviewSeptic bursitis is a relatively common condition that causes substantial morbidity, but there is no universally accepted approach to management. We aim to evaluate recent literature with an eye toward recommended changes in the practice of bursal aspiration, surgical debridement, and antibiotic treatment.Recent FindingsAuthors of recent studies suggest that most patients with uncomplicated septic bursitis can be treated nonoperatively, perhaps even without aspiration of the bursal sac, and can achieve satisfactory clinical response with antibiotics alone. Surgical debridement has not been shown to be superior to nonoperative approaches but is recommended for complex or refractory cases. Optimal antibiotic route and duration is largely determined by severity of the presentation, but many authors favor transition to oral antibiotic therapy early where appropriate.SummaryThere remains considerable heterogeneity regarding the best management of septic bursitis, ranging from aggressive surgical debridement to isolated antibiotic treatment. Bursal aspiration can help to guide antimicrobial therapy but is not necessarily a requirement in making the diagnosis if patients show an adequate response to empiric antibiotics. Close follow-up after initial presentation for patients with proven or suspected septic bursitis is important to determine their clinical response and to further guide their management.

Background A particular ability of the Staphylococcus aureus clonal complex 398 (CC398) to cause bone and joint infections (BJI) remains questionable, since some studies have described high prevalence of MSSA CC398 in prosthetic joint infection (PJI) and diabetic foot ostemolyelitis (DFO). Here, we described the long-term epidemiology of CC398 among S. aureus isolated from BJI and identified risk factors associated with CC398. Methods We included all bone and joint samples with S. aureus -positive culture in our university hospital between January 2010 and December 2017. Logistic regression was used for univariate and multivariate analysis. Results We identified 124 CC398 isolates among the 958 BJI-associated S. aureus . The proportion of CC398 among S. aureus increased steadily from 4% in 2010 to 26% in 2017. Only 4 isolates of CC398 were resistant to methicillin. The distribution of BJI types due to CC398 and non CC398 isolates was similar. In multivariate analysis, age ( p  = 0.034, OR = 3.9), McCabe score ( p  = 0.005, OR = 5) and inoculation mechanism ( p  = 0.020, OR = 3.7) were associated with PJI-related CC398. The year of infection ( p  < 0.001, OR = 1.6), Charlson’s score ( p  = 0.001, OR = 1.5) and grade 4 (severe) of the International Working Group of the Diabetic Foot classification ( p  < 0.001, OR = 8.5) were associated with DFO-related CC398. Conclusion We highlighted here the emergence and spread of CC398-MSSA in BJI. Patients with comorbidities are at high risk of CC398 MSSA PJI and DFO. The spread of CC398 in the community and hospital settings remains unclear and further epidemiological studies are needed to identify the determinants of its success.

Background. Streptococci are not an infrequent cause of periprosthetic joint infection (PJI). Management by debridement, antibiotics, and implant retention (DAIR) is thought to produce a good prognosis, but little is known about the real likelihood of success. Methods. A retrospective, observational, multicenter, international study was performed during 2003–2012. Eligible patients had a streptococcal PJI that was managed with DAIR. The primary endpoint was failure, defined as death related to infection, relapse/persistence of infection, or the need for salvage therapy. Results. Overall, 462 cases were included (median age 72 years, 50% men). The most frequent species was Streptococcus agalactiae (34%), and 52% of all cases were hematogenous. Antibiotic treatment was primarily using β-lactams, and 37% of patients received rifampin. Outcomes were evaluable in 444 patients: failure occurred in 187 (42.1%; 95% confidence interval, 37.5%–46.7%) after a median of 62 days from debridement; patients without failure were followed up for a median of 802 days. Independent predictors (hazard ratios) of failure were rheumatoid arthritis (2.36), late post-surgical infection (2.20), and bacteremia (1.69). Independent predictors of success were exchange of removable components (0.60), early use of rifampin (0.98 per day of treatment within the first 30 days), and long treatments (≥21 days) with β-lactams, either as monotherapy (0.48) or in combination with rifampin (0.34). Conclusions. This is the largest series to our knowledge of streptococcal PJI managed by DAIR, showing a worse prognosis than previously reported. The beneficial effects of exchanging the removable components and of β-lactams are confirmed and maybe also a potential benefit from adding rifampin.

Phage-derived therapies comprise phage therapy and the use of phage-derived proteins as anti-bacterial therapy. Bacteriophages are natural viruses that target specific bacteria. They were proposed to be used to treat bacterial infections in the 1920s, before the discovery and widespread over-commercialized use of antibiotics. Phage therapy was totally abandoned in Western countries, whereas it is still used in Poland, Georgia and Russia. We review here the history of phage therapy by focusing on bone and joint infection, and on the development of phage therapy in France in this indication. We discuss the rationale of its use in bacterial infection and show the feasibility of phage therapy in the 2020s, based on several patients with complex bone and joint infection who recently received phages as compassionate therapy. Although the status of phage therapy remains to be clarified by health care authorities, obtaining pharmaceutical-grade therapeutic phages (i.e., following good manufacturing practice guidelines or being “GMP-like”) targeting bacterial species of concern is essential. Moreover, multidisciplinary clinical expertise has to determine what could be the relevant indications to perform clinical trials. Finally “phage therapy 2.0” has to integrate the following steps: (i) follow the status of phage therapy, that is not settled and defined; (ii) develop in each country a close relationship with the national health care authority; (iii) develop industrial–academic partnerships; (iv) create academic reference centers; (v) identify relevant clinical indications; (vi) use GMP/GMP-like phages with guaranteed quality bioproduction; (vii) start as salvage therapy; (vii) combine with antibiotics and adequate surgery; and (viii) perform clinical trials, to finally (ix) demonstrate in which clinical settings phage therapy provides benefit. Phage-derived proteins such as peptidoglycan hydrolases, polysaccharide depolymerases or lysins are enzymes that also have anti-biofilm activity. In contrast to phages, their development has to follow the classical process of medicinal products. Phage therapy and phage-derived products also have a huge potential to treat biofilm-associated bacterial diseases, and this is of crucial importance in the worldwide spread of antimicrobial resistance.

Background Bone and joint infections represent a major public health issue due to their increasing prevalence, their functional prognosis and their cost to society. Phage therapy has valuable anti-biofilm properties against prosthetic joint infections (PJI). The aim of this study was to establish the proportion of patients eligible for phage therapy and to assess their clinical outcome judged against all patients presenting with PJI. Method . Patients admitted for periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) at a French general hospital between 2015 and 2019 were retrospectively included. Eligibility for phage therapy was determined based on French recommendations, with polymicrobial infections serving as exclusion criteria. Patients were categorized into two groups: those eligible and those ineligible for phage therapy. We analyzed their characteristics and outcomes, including severe adverse events, duration of intravenous antibiotic therapy, length of hospitalization, and relapse rates. Results . In this study, 96 patients with PJI were considered in multidisciplinary medical meetings. Of these, 44% patients (42/96) were eligible for additional phage therapy. This group of patients had a longer duration of intravenous therapy (17 days vs. 10 days, p  = 0.02), more severe adverse events (11 vs. 3, p  = 0.08) and had a longer hospital stay (43 days vs. 18 days, p  < 0.01). Conclusion . A large number of patients met eligibility criteria for phage therapy and treatment and follow-up is more complex. A larger epidemiological study would more accurately describe the prognosis of eligible patients.

Cutibacterium acnes orthopedic device–related infections (ODRIs) range from obvious infections to solely culture-based diagnoses. Multilocus sequence typing of multiple isolates from the same procedure revealed that most cases with normal C-reactive protein levels that were classified as C. acnes ODRI would be considered contaminations when accounting for genotypic data.