A Decade in Periprosthetic Joint Infection Care: Growing Referrals and High Resource Demands at a High-Volume Center
- 1Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT
- 2Department of Internal Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT
Abstract
Background: The management of periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) requires a multidisciplinary approach that is not feasible in all healthcare settings. This study characterized the evolving burden of PJI referrals at an academic referral center over the past decade.
Methods: A retrospective review was conducted of all referred patients who underwent treatment for hip or knee PJI at a single referral center between 2014 and 2024. Demographic data, initial operative time, hospital length of stay (LOS), and number and duration of subsequent surgeries were recorded.
Results: In total, 523 referred patients were treated for PJI. The mean initial LOS was 7.0 days (standard deviation [SD] 5.7) and the mean operative time was 169.5 min (SD 75.9). Overall, 36% underwent irrigation and debridement with modular component exchange, single stage revision, or a spacer alone. Of the 335 who had at least 1 subsequent surgery, under half (N = 146, 43.5%), received stage two alone. On average, patients underwent 1.8 subsequent surgeries (SD 1.4), ranging from 1 to 14. The cumulative mean operative time for these subsequent surgeries was 306.4 min (SD 253.3). The number of PJIs nearly doubled from 2014-2017 (N = 112) to 2021-2024 (N = 221). There were no significant changes in LOS, number of subsequent surgeries, or cumulative operative time for reoperations during these intervals.
Conclusions: The volume of referred PJIs has increased substantially over the past decade at our referral center, underscoring the growing demand for PJI care and profound resource burden necessary to care for these patients.
Related
- Culture-Specific Outcomes of Intra-Articular Antibiotic Infusion With Implant-Retaining Debridement for Periprosthetic Joint Infection After Unicompartmental Knee Arthroplasty
- From Measured Accuracy to Patient Outcome: Navigation in Total Hip Arthroplasty and Molecular Diagnosis of Periprosthetic Joint Infection: A Narrative Review
- Extensor Mechanism Reconstruction Following Periprosthetic Joint Infection After Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Systematic Review
- Antibiotic-Loaded Hydrogel, Calcium Bead, and Cement in Periprosthetic Joint Infection Following Hip-Knee Arthroplasty: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Commercially Available Products
- Retrospective analysis of LAG3, TIGIT, TIM3 and VISTA immune checkpoints expression in hip and knee periprosthetic joint infection
BibTeX
@article{rainey2026decade,
title = {{A Decade in Periprosthetic Joint Infection Care: Growing Referrals and High Resource Demands at a High-Volume Center}},
author = {Joshua P. Rainey and Brenna E. Blackburn and Reed C. Noyd and Jessica Hammond and Laura K. Certain and Michael J. Archibeck and Lucas A. Anderson and Christopher L. Peters and Jeremy M. Gililland and Christopher E. Pelt},
journal = {Arthroplasty Today},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1016/j.artd.2026.102196},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.artd.2026.102196},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - A Decade in Periprosthetic Joint Infection Care: Growing Referrals and High Resource Demands at a High-Volume Center
AU - Joshua P. Rainey
AU - Brenna E. Blackburn
AU - Reed C. Noyd
AU - Jessica Hammond
AU - Laura K. Certain
AU - Michael J. Archibeck
AU - Lucas A. Anderson
AU - Christopher L. Peters
AU - Jeremy M. Gililland
AU - Christopher E. Pelt
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/28
JO - Arthroplasty Today
DO - 10.1016/j.artd.2026.102196
UR - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.artd.2026.102196
AB - Background: The management of periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) requires a multidisciplinary approach that is not feasible in all healthcare settings. This study characterized the evolving burden of PJI referrals at an academic referral center over the past decade. Methods: A retrospective review was conducted of all referred patients who underwent treatment for hip or knee PJI at a single referral center between 2014 and 2024. Demographic data, initial operative time, hospital length of stay (LOS), and number and duration of subsequent surgeries were recorded. Results: In total, 523 referred patients were treated for PJI. The mean initial LOS was 7.0 days (standard deviation [SD] 5.7) and the mean operative time was 169.5 min (SD 75.9). Overall, 36% underwent irrigation and debridement with modular component exchange, single stage revision, or a spacer alone. Of the 335 who had at least 1 subsequent surgery, under half (N = 146, 43.5%), received stage two alone. On average, patients underwent 1.8 subsequent surgeries (SD 1.4), ranging from 1 to 14. The cumulative mean operative time for these subsequent surgeries was 306.4 min (SD 253.3). The number of PJIs nearly doubled from 2014-2017 (N = 112) to 2021-2024 (N = 221). There were no significant changes in LOS, number of subsequent surgeries, or cumulative operative time for reoperations during these intervals. Conclusions: The volume of referred PJIs has increased substantially over the past decade at our referral center, underscoring the growing demand for PJI care and profound resource burden necessary to care for these patients.
SN - 2352-3441
ER -