Joint and bone infections

Patients treated for early prosthetic joint infection (PJI) with surgical debridement, prosthesis retention and biofilm-active antibiotics, such as rifampicin or fluoroquinolones have a rate of successful infection eradication that is similar to patients treated with the traditional approach of prosthesis exchange. It is therefore important to consider other outcomes after PJI treatment that may influence management decisions, such as function, quality of life (QOL) and treatment-associated complications. To describe rates of successful treatment for patients with PJI undergoing surgical debridement, prosthesis retention and biofilm-active antibiotics and compare their functional outcomes, QOL and complication rates to patients without PJI. Nineteen patients treated for PJI after hip arthroplasty with debridement, prosthesis retention and biofilm-active antibiotics were matched to 76 controls who underwent hip arthroplasty with no infection. Cumulative survival free from treatment failure at 2 years was 88% (95% confidence interval, 59-97%). PJI cases had significant improvement from pre-arthroplasty to 12-months post-arthroplasty in function according to Harris Hip Score and QOL according to the 12-item Short Form Health Survey Physical Component Summary. There was no significant difference in the improvement between controls and cases. PJI was not a risk factor for poor function or QOL. Medical complications occurred more frequently in cases (6/19 (32%)) than controls (9/76 (12%); P = 0.04), with this difference being accounted for by drug reactions. Surgical complications were the same in the two groups. Treatment of PJI with debridement, prosthesis retention and biofilm-active antibiotics is successful, well tolerated and results in significant improvements in function and QOL, which are similar to patients without PJI.

Oral Antibiotic Therapy

Background The 2013 IDSA prosthetic joint infection (PJI) guidelines identified some research gaps, some of which include what factors may predict PJI outcome. We therefore conducted a retrospective single-center study with the goal of addressing some of these gaps.Objectives1. Describe the incidence, pathogens, role of inflammatory markers, and treatment outcomes of knee PJI. 2. Identify correlations between joint aspiration (JA) and intraoperative (IO) cultures.Methods We retrospectively analyzed all adult knee PJI that were diagnosed and managed at our institution between 1/1/2005 and 12/31/2015. Statistical analysis was done using the paired t-test, Fisher exact and McNemar χ2 tests as applicable.ResultsForty-six subjects met the inclusion criteria and were analyzed. See table below.Clinical and Demographic Information of PJI subjects (n = 46).ParameterValue (%)Age (years)Range27–84Median60Mean58.8SexFemale28 (61)Symptom onset< 3 weeks15 (33)> 3 weeks28 (61)No Data3 (6)Implant durationEarly (< 3month)10 (22)Delayed (3–24 month)15 (33)Late (> 24 months)21 (45)Positive cultureJA17 (37)IO29 (63)Surgical RxTwo stage15 (33)Debridement and retention18 (39)Removal without replacement13 (28)OutcomeCure26 (57)Failure with relapse5 (11)Failure with progression6 (13)Indeterminate6 (13)Death3 (6)The incidence rate of PJI for the study period was 5.4%.. Staph. aureus was the commonest pathogen accounting for 11(65%) JA and 13(40%) of IO cultures. Low virulence organisms [Staph. epidermidis n = 8 (25%) and Corynebacterium spp. n =1 (3%)] were only recovered from IO cultures. Gram-negative bacilli accounted for 5(30%) JA and 7(28%) IO cultures.. JA correlates well with IO cultures using paired sample correlations (t-test); (correlation 0.61, P = 0.027).. 97% of subjects had elevated ESR while 96% had elevated CRP.. Concerning outcome, there was no statistically significant difference between groups based on implant duration (P = 0.98), symptom onset (P = 0.23), pathogen type (P = 0.83), and treatment options (P = 0.39).Conclusion 1. JA culture is a good predictor of IO culture in knee PJI. 2. Yield of low virulence organisms from JA culture is poor. 3. Elevated ESR and CRP can support diagnosis of knee PJI. 4. Implant duration, pathogen type, duration of symptoms and treatment type do not appear to affect outcome.DisclosuresAll authors: No reported disclosures.

&lt;p&gt;Prosthetic joint infection (PJI) is an emergent concern given the wide usage of prosthetic joints in old and young population to assist with activities of daily living. While the public health burden of PJI appears to be relatively low compared with other potentially fatal infections such as blood stream infections, PJI is associated with excess morbidity and steep healthcare costs. Appropriate and timely diagnosis and management are crucial in preventing poor clinical outcomes and restoring adequate function in patients with PJI. There is lack of studies using robust epidemiologic methods to evaluate effectiveness of existing treatment protocols for PJI. We conducted retrospective studies using the Veterans Affairs (VA) database using data from 123 VA hospitals between 2003 and 2012. We also abstracted clinical data from VA medical records to achieve the objectives of this research. The effectiveness of an antibiotic — rifampin and a surgical management – exchange arthroplasty was assessed in separate studies. These treatments were adjudicated based on their effectiveness in prevention of PJI recurrence and two-year postoperative mortality, respectively.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Seven hundred thirty-one of the 2838 patients with first episode of PJI were treated with surgery and medical management for Staphylococcus aureus PJI and were retained in the thesis dataset. In the first study, we compared 300 patients treated with rifampin for the first 42 days of treatment period to 364 patients treated with antibiotics other than rifampin during the 42 days (unexposed). Overall, 255 patients (38.4%) were observed to have a treatment failure defined as recurrence of S. aureus PJI with or without a repeat surgery or death in the 90 days after surgery for the PJI. The rifampin-treated and unexposed groups did not differ on time to treatment failure (p=0.92). It was noted that patients treated with a less invasive surgery that resulted in retention of the infection prosthesis with removal of infected tissue and rifampin treatment had lower risk for treatment failure compared to patients with similar surgery but not treated with rifampin (HR=0.79, 95%CI 0.52-1.20). We also observed that patients who had surgery for removal of the infected prosthesis and were treated with rifampin had significantly greater risk for treatment failure compared to those treated with the prosthesis removal surgery but no rifampin. In our second study we further analyzed this research question in depth using advanced epidemiologic methods to attenuate any bias in our previous findings. We noted that the groups did not differ in their risk for treatment failure after matching patients on their probability of receiving rifampin treatment (HR=1.08, 95%CI 0.71-1.65). In addition, we observed that patients whose treatment decision with rifampin was determined by the rifampin prescription rate in the treating facility substantially benefited with use of rifampin antibiotic for S. aureus PJI.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;In the third study we assessed the effectiveness of a surgery — exchange arthroplasty (involves removal of infected prosthesis and insertion of new prosthesis) to reduce the risk of death two years after surgery in a sample of 566 S. aureus PJI patients. Patients with this procedure were compared to patients treated with retention of their infected prosthesis and removal of infected tissue (DAIR). Overall, 90 patients (15.9%) died in the 2 years after surgery. Of these, 14 (9.9%) died after exchange surgery while 76 (17.9%) died after the DAIR procedure. We observed that the exchange surgery reduced the risk for death by almost 60% compared to the DAIR (OR=0.42, 95%CI 0.19-0.89).&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;In conclusion, epidemiological studies conducted as part of this thesis identified considerable burden of treatment failure (38.4%) and all-cause mortality (15.9%) among veterans treated for S. aureus PJI. Rifampin combination antibiotic regimen was not observed to be effective in reducing the burden of the infection, in comparison to other antibiotics. Exchange arthroplasty reduced the risk for death in old veteran patients compared to a less invasive but potentially life-threatening procedure such as DAIR. Choice of treatment should be made on a case-by-case basis for patients with S. aureus PJI after thorough consideration of patient characteristics.&lt;/p&gt;

AimsThe optimal duration of antibiotic therapy in joint infection remains controversial, particularly as native joint septic arthritis and periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) differ substantially in pathophysiology, surgical management, and prognosis. While short antibiotic courses have been advocated for native joints after adequate drainage, prolonged therapy is often recommended for PJIs due to biofilm-related infection. This systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) aimed to compare short- with long-course antibiotic strategies in both native and prosthetic joint infections.MethodsFollowing PRISMA guidelines, a systematic search was performed across PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library. Only RCTs were included. Studies were assessed for inclusion using predefined population, intervention, comparison, outcomes, and study (PICOS) criteria. Meta-analyses were conducted using MedCalc, and treatment failures were analyzed using odds ratios (ORs) with 95% CIs.ResultsA total of 12 RCTs involving 1,414 patients (native 577; periprosthetic 837) were included, with six eligible for meta-analysis. For PJIs, long-course therapy (≥ 12 weeks) significantly reduced treatment failure compared with short courses (OR 2.04, 95% CI 1.18 to 3.54; p = 0.011), while complication and mortality rates were similar. In contrast, for native joints, short-course therapy (≤ four weeks) achieved comparable infection control with prolonged regimens (OR 1.347; p = 0.565) when combined with adequate surgical drainage, particularly in paediatric populations. Surgical strategy (e.g. debridement, antibiotics, and implant retention vs one- or two-stage exchange) influenced outcomes more than antibiotic duration alone.ConclusionOptimal antibiotic duration should be individualized based on joint type and surgical approach. Short courses are effective for native septic arthritis with proper drainage, whereas PJIs generally require extended therapy due to biofilm-related complexity. We propose the Age-Joint-Immunity-Surgery-Sensitivity (AJISS) score as a decision-making tool to guide treatment duration, warranting prospective validation.Cite this article: Bone Jt Open 2026;7(3):394–406.

Micromonas micros is an oral anaerobic Gram-positive coccus and is a commensal of the mouth, and it is rarely isolated in prosthetic joint infections (PJIs) and even less frequently related to a preceding dental procedure with eventual hematogenous seeding of the prosthetic joint. Here, we present a case of a 56-year-old male with a prosthetic hip joint who developed Micromonas micros prosthetic hip joint infection with symptoms starting a few days after a dental procedure and not having received periprocedural antibiotic prophylaxis. He recovered well with surgical intervention and antimicrobial therapy. We conducted a literature review of prosthetic hip joint infections caused by Micromonas micros as well as briefly discuss current guidelines on antibiotic prophylaxis in patients with prosthetic joints undergoing dental procedures and some knowledge gaps.

BackgroundKnee arthroplasty is an orthopedic surgical procedure in which a damaged joint is replaced with an artificial one. It is estimated that 1–2% of knee arthroplasties will encounter infection over their lifetime. Although α-hemolytic Streptococcus species play an important role in prosthetic joint infection, they are less common than staphylococcal species.Case presentationIn this report, a 50-year-old Iranian woman was diagnosed with prosthetic knee joint infection based on clinical, radiological, and laboratory findings. She was diabetic and had undergone a left total knee arthroplasty, which, 18 months after the surgery, presented pain, erythema, and edema in that knee. The primary culture of knee aspirate was positive for α-hemolytic Streptococcus species, but following antibiotic medication, culture was negative. The primary antibiotic regime was vancomycin and meropenem, which was changed to cefepime for the management of the infection based on the results of antimicrobial susceptibility testing.ConclusionsThis report indicated the clinical presentation and management of the patient with prosthetic joint infection in which the patient recovered without any severe complications or surgical intervention.

Infection of native and prosthetic joints remains a critical disease, associated with both significant mortality and morbidity. The diagnosis of joints infection is extremely difficult since presentation and preoperative tests are not always obvious and precise, while correct and timely diagnosis of septic etiology is crucial. In this case a rapid and accurate test would be helpful.Purpose of the study — тo evaluate the analytical performance and diagnostic capabilities of measuring the synovial fluid D-lactate for early diagnosis of infection in native and prosthetic joints.Material and methods. Test group of patients (n = 86) contained two subgroups – patients with periprosthetic infection (PPI) (n = 58) and patients with bacterial arthritis (BA) (n = 28). Control group (n = 104) also included two subgroups – patients with aseptic instability of implant components (n = 75) and patients with osteoarthritis (OA) (n = 29).Results. The authors observed that SF D-lactate ≥1,2 mmol/l was the optimal cutoff value for identifying patients with bacterial causes. The higher SF levels of D-lactate were observed in patients with BA compared to aseptic causes, (p0,0001), as well as in patients with PJI in contrast to aseptic loosening of prosthesis (p0,0001). In patients with native joints, SF D-lactate had better sensitivity (92,8%) compared to SF leucocytes (66,6%) and percentage of neutrophils (44,4%). D-lactate had better sensitivity for diagnosis of PJI (96,5%, 89,6% and 60,3% respectively). There were no significant differences in SF D-lactate levels due to different bacterial strains.Conclusion. The study demonstrated high analytical performance and diagnostic capabilities of measuring of synovial fluid D-lactate for diagnosis of BA and PJI. It is a rapid and accurate test for differentiating bacterial joint infection from the aseptic inflammatory joint diseases. This procedure can be carried out within less than one hour and be helpful in outpatient setting.

PET and SPECT in Osteomyelitis and Prosthetic Bone and Joint Infections: A Systematic Review

Background The OVIVA trial, published in 2019, demonstrated equivalent efficacy of oral (PO) versus intravenous (IV) antibiotics for bone and joint infections. We report our group’s one-year outcomes in a cohort of such patients who received PO or IV antibiotics. Methods Our orthopedic surgery and orthopedic infectious diseases (ID) groups agreed to employ early switch to PO in patients with a first episode of non-vertebral osteomyelitis (OM), native or prosthetic joint infection (NJA or PJI), or hardware infections when a pathogen susceptible to highly bioavailable antibiotics had been identified and the patient was perceived to be at low risk for medication non-adherence. We reviewed patients 19+ years old seen in the Ortho ID clinic for one of these conditions from July 1st through December 31st, 2019. Data recorded included patient demographics and comorbidities, infection type and site, microbiology, and surgical and antibiotic management. Primary outcome was treatment failure at 1 year, defined as death, unplanned surgery at same site, or chronic antibiotic suppression. Results Forty patients (all IV antibiotics, n=17; initial or switch to PO, n=23) were included. Median IV duration was 15 days. PJI was the most common diagnosis (n=22), followed by other hardware infection and OM (n=7 each). Of the PJIs, 13/22 were managed with 2-stage exchange and 11/13 of these received all-IV therapy. Of the hardware infections, 4/7 underwent debridement and retention or single-stage exchange and all of these received initial or switch to PO therapy. Staphylococci (n=14 S. aureus and n=7 coagulase-negative) and streptococci (n=12) were the most common pathogens. Amoxicillin (n=8), trimethoprim-sulfa (n=6), and levofloxacin (n=3) were the most-used PO antibiotics. The PO group received longer treatment (mean 67 vs 48 days). No treatment failures occurred in the patients who started or switch to PO antibiotics, whereas 35% of patients who received all-IV therapy experienced failure. Conclusion Adopting known risk factors for poor outcome in bone and joint infection such as prior treatment failure and no identified pathogen as exclusion criteria for early switch to PO antibiotic therapy led to excellent one-year treatment outcomes across a range of musculoskeletal infections. Disclosures Angela Hewlett, MD, MS, Mapp Biopharmaceutical (Scientific Research Study Investigator) Angela Hewlett, MD, MS, Mapp Biopharmaceutical, Inc (Individual(s) Involved: Self): Scientific Research Study Investigator Nicolas W. Cortes-Penfield, MD, Nothing to disclose

Objectives:We described the clinical outcomes and estimated cost savings from switching patients to early oral therapy from intravenous (IV) therapy for prosthetic joint infections (PJI) based on predefined criteria.Methods:Retrospective observational study in a large health authority consisting of 12 acute care hospitals in Canada. Patient demographics, microbiological and treatment data were collected for all patients with first episode of knee or hip PJI in 2022. Treatment failure rates, allergic or adverse reactions to IV or oral treatment, and hospital readmission rates were reported for those who met criteria for early switch to oral therapy.Results:Fifty-one patients were included. Thirty-seven patients (73%) had knee PJI, with debridement, antibiotics, and implant retention being the most common procedure. Sixteen patients (31%) had IV therapy for the entire duration of treatment, and the mean duration was 44 days. Twenty-three patients (45%) could have been switched to oral therapy. In practice however, only 3 patients (6%) were switched to oral therapy by day 7 following surgical source control. Five patients (22%) had clinical and/or microbiological failure 2 years postsurgery. Four patients (17%) and 6 patients (26%) developed an allergic or adverse reaction to IV and oral therapy, respectively. Five patients (22%) developed line complications. We estimated potential cost savings of almost $70,000 Canadian dollars with early oral therapy.Conclusion:Almost half of our PJI patients could have been switched to oral therapy within 7 days post-surgical source control. This study highlights a great opportunity for antimicrobial stewardship.

Background Tuberculous prosthetic joint infection is a rare but serious complication of joint replacement surgery. We report a case of tuberculous prosthetic knee joint infection and review similar cases reported in the literature. The aims of this study were to alert physicians to this rare complication and review the experience of others to improve diagnosis and outcome of this serious complication. Methods We report a case and review the literature of all published cases of tuberculous prosthetic knee joint infections in the period between 1950 and 2017. Results We found 36 cases reported in the literature, which brings the total number of cases including ours to 37. Majority of cases were reported after the year 2000 and predominantly affecting elderly with a median age of 71 years. Clinical manifestations are nonspecific, with pain and swelling being the most common presenting symptoms (70.5% and 67.5%, respectively). Diagnosis was established by culture or histopathology, which were diagnostic in 89% and 39% of cases, respectively. Management requires the use of antituberculous medication and in some patients in addition surgery. In 35% of patients, medical therapy alone was successful. A 12-month duration of antituberculous drugs is adequate. The outcome is favorable, with survival in 89% of patients. Conclusions Tuberculous infection of prosthetic knee joint is a rare but serious complication of total knee replacement surgery. Treatment with antituberculous drugs and surgery in some patients results in favorable outcome.

SummaryBackgroundProsthetic joint infection is a devastating complication of knee replacement. The risk of developing a prosthetic joint infection is affected by patient, surgical, and health-care system factors. Existing evidence is limited by heterogeneity in populations studied, short follow-up, inadequate power, and does not differentiate early prosthetic joint infection, most likely related to the intervention, from late infection, more likely to occur due to haematogenous bacterial spread. We aimed to assess the overall and time-specific associations of these factors with the risk of revision due to prosthetic joint infection following primary knee replacement.MethodsIn this cohort study, we analysed primary knee replacements done between 2003 and 2013 in England and Wales and the procedures subsequently revised for prosthetic joint infection between 2003 and 2014. Data were obtained from the National Joint Registry linked to the Hospital Episode Statistics data in England and the Patient Episode Database for Wales. Each primary replacement was followed for a minimum of 12 months until the end of the observation period (Dec 31, 2014) or until the date of revision for prosthetic joint infection, revision for another indication, or death (whichever occurred first). We analysed the data using Poisson and piecewise exponential multilevel models to assess the associations between patient, surgical, and health-care system factors and risk of revision for prosthetic joint infection.FindingsOf 679 010 primary knee replacements done between 2003 and 2013 in England and Wales, 3659 were subsequently revised for an indication of prosthetic joint infection between 2003 and 2014, after a median follow-up of 4·6 years (IQR 2·6–6·9). Male sex (rate ratio [RR] for male vs female patients 1·8 [95% CI 1·7–2·0]), younger age (RR for age ≥80 years vs <60 years 0·5 [0·4–0·6]), higher American Society of Anaesthesiologists [ASA] grade (RR for ASA grade 3–5 vs 1, 1·8 [1·6–2·1]), elevated body-mass index (BMI; RR for BMI ≥30 kg/m2vs <25 kg/m2 1·5 [1·3–1·6]), chronic pulmonary disease (RR 1·2 [1·1–1·3]), diabetes (RR 1·4 [1·2–1·5]), liver disease (RR 2·2 [1·6–2·9]), connective tissue and rheumatic diseases (RR 1·5 [1·3–1·7]), peripheral vascular disease (RR 1·4 [1·1–1·7]), surgery for trauma (RR 1·9 [1·4–2·6]), previous septic arthritis (RR 4·9 [2·7–7·6]) or inflammatory arthropathy (RR 1·4 [1·2–1·7]), operation under general anaesthesia (RR 1·1 [1·0–1·2]), requirement for tibial bone graft (RR 2·0 [1·3–2·7]), use of posterior stabilised fixed bearing prostheses (RR for posterior stabilised fixed bearing prostheses vs unconstrained fixed bearing prostheses 1·4 [1·3–1·5]) or constrained condylar prostheses (3·5 [2·5–4·7]) were associated with a higher risk of revision for prosthetic joint infection. However, uncemented total, patellofemoral, or unicondylar knee replacement (RR for uncemented vs cemented total knee replacement 0·7 [95% CI 0·6–0·8], RR for patellofemoral vs cemented total knee replacement 0·3 [0·2–0·5], and RR for unicondylar vs cemented total knee replacement 0·5 [0·5–0·6]) were associated with lower risk of revision for prosthetic joint infection. Most of these factors had time-specific effects, depending on the time period post-surgery.InterpretationWe have identified several risk factors for revision for prosthetic joint infection following knee replacement. Some of these factors are modifiable, and the use of targeted interventions or strategies could lead to a reduced risk of revision for prosthetic joint infection. Non-modifiable factors and the time-specific nature of the effects we have observed will allow clinicians to appropriately counsel patients preoperatively and tailor follow-up regimens.FundingNational Institute for Health Research.

Introduction A cute Osteomyelitis (AO) is a suppurative bone infection caused by haematogenous spread within the metaphysis of long bones. Unlike septic arthritis, children with AO are usually systemically well and the classic text book description of fever, swelling and limp is often absent. Prompt diagnosis and treatment is important to avoid complications such as growth arrest, septic arthritis and chronic infection. Objective 1) To review the clinical presentation and value of laboratory and radiological investigations in diagnosing Acute Osteomyelitis; 2) To review current treatment of Acute Osteomyelitis and follow up of patients for complications. Method We retrospectively reviewed case notes of 12 children who were diagnosed with acute osteomyelitis over a two year period. Results Temperature of 38 degrees and above was present only in one third of patients whereas loss of function and pain were present in all the patients. Recent infection or trauma was present in most of the cases. An elevated ESR (>35 in 10 patients) and high platelet count (>400 in 11 patients) were the most consistent laboratory results. CRP was less than 15 in 3 patients. Blood cultures were negative in all but one case where group B streptococcus was isolated in a neonate from blood and aspiration of joint. MRI was helpful in confirming equivocal diagnosis. Bone scan when done in 4 cases helped in diagnosing AO. Flucloxacillin was an effective antibiotic in the majority except for neonatal osteomyelitis. 6 children received antibiotics for 42 days, 1 child for 5 days and 1 for 70 days, the rest received antibiotics for 14 days. Intravenous antibiotic treatment duration was very variable and was guided by resolution of inflammatory markers to normal levels. Antibiotics was started on the 12th day of presentation for a baby and 3 en had complications where one child required a sequestrectomy, one developed a Brodie9s abscess and one developed chronic recurrent multifocal osteomyelitis. Conclusions Acute osteomyelitis still remains a difficult diagnosis. A high index of suspicion together with a combination of clinical signs, laboratory and radiological tests are essential to facilitate prompt diagnosis and treatment to avoid long term complications. Good team working, information sharing and communication with our orthopaedic colleagues is essential to reduce morbidity and improve quality of care.

Background: The microbiological profile of bone and joint infections is important for determining the empiric choice of both systemic and local antimicrobial therapy. This study assessed whether there was a difference in the bacterial species that were isolated on culture in osteomyelitis (OM), fracture-related infection (FRI) or prosthetic joint infection (PJI). This was a retrospective, observational cohort study of patients who had surgical intervention for PJI or OM or FRI with a positive microbial culture between 2019 and 2022. Methods: Data including patient demographics, the site of injury, JS-BACH score, organism classification and antibiotic resistance to vancomycin and gentamicin were extracted from the medical records. Results: A total of 440 patients were included in this study: 163 patients with osteomyelitis, 109 with fracture-related infection with fixation implants and 168 with prosthetic joint infection. The patients with PJI were older, more likely to be female and had a higher BMI and ASA score compared to those with OM. Patients with PJI were more likely to have a higher JS-BACH score and more complex infections. Staphylococcus aureus was the most commonly isolated organism in all three groups. It was more frequently isolated in osteomyelitis than in PJI (p = 0.016). In both osteomyelitis and FRI, after Staphylococcus aureus, the next most common organisms were Gram-negatives, whilst for PJIs, the most commonly isolated organisms were Staphylococcus aureus, followed by coagulase-negative Staphylococci and then Streptococcus species. The rates of other organisms were broadly similar between the three groups. When adjusted for confounders, including symptom duration, JS-BACH score, the location of injury, age and BMI, there was no statistically significant difference in the presence of Staphylococcus aureus (OR = 0.765; 95% CI 0.633–1.232; p = 0.465) or polymicrobial infection (OR = 1.175; 95% CI 0.803–1.721; p = 0.407). Conclusions: Causative pathogens are similar across bone and joint infections and are independent of the presence of prosthetic material.