OE Journal

ORIGINAL ANALYSIS

Prosthetic Joint Infection Prevention: Highlighting Early Stages of the Patient Journey

Prosthetic joint infection (PJI) remains a devastating complication after total joint arthroplasty, with significant impacts on patient outcomes and healthcare costs. This OE Insight outlines a three-pronged, evidence-based strategy for PJI prevention—host optimization, minimizing bioburden, and reducing contamination—spanning preoperative to intraoperative care. Drawing on the CDC’s bioburden vs. immune threshold framework and featuring expert commentary from Dr. Andrew Fraval, this piece highlights a comprehensive ‘bundle’ approach as key to improving surgical outcomes and reducing infection risk in hip and knee reconstruction.