Bone and joint infections include septic arthritis, prosthetic joint infections, osteomyelitis, spinal infections (discitis, vertebral osteomyelitis and epidural abscess) and diabetic foot osteomyelitis. All of these may present through the acute medical take. Epidemiologic studies demonstrate that population fragmented ageing and increased urbanization, and motorization across the globe increase the prevalence of trauma and age-related musculoskeletal conditions, such as fragility fractures and arthritis. The number of primary and revision arthroplasties has increased steadily in the last 20 years and so does the number of fractures treated with implantation of hardware
Research – Prosthetic joint infection (PJI) is one of the most severe complications after arthroplasty that affects the quality of a patient’s life. The incidence of infection following a revision hip and arthroplasty has been reported approximately 2%–6%. Furthermore, the dimension of the problem is huge in low-middle-income countries because of their own problems in their hospitals. The management of PJI almost always requires surgical intervention and extended courses of antimicrobial therapy that places a significant economic burden on healthcare system. The economic burden of PJI is relatively well known in industrialized countries.
The rate and severity of septic complications following joint replacement surgery and the incidence of posttraumatic infections are projected to increase at a faster pace because of a tendency to operate on high-risk patients, including older patients, patients with diabetes, and patients who are immunocompromised or have comorbidities. Musculoskeletal infections are devastating adverse events that may become life-threatening conditions. They create an additional burden on total health-care expenditures, and can lead to functional impairment, long-lasting disability or even permanent handicap, with the inevitable social and economic burdens.
Musculoskeletal infections place an additional cost burden on total health-care expenditures, which are already rising faster than the gross domestic product in most countries, and may also become life-threatening conditions. The scientific community needs to take a more active role to increase awareness and in collaboration with policy makers and funding organizations, collect valid data, construct an action plan and put the scourge of the bone and joint infections higher in the agenda of health care priorities.
