Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35612616›Full record

ArticleArchives of orthopaedic and trauma surgery2023

Tissue sampling is non-inferior in comparison to sonication in orthopedic revision surgery.

Theresa Fritsche, Matthias Schnetz, Alexander Klug, Sebastian Fischer, Christian Ruckes, K P Hunfeld, Reinhard Hoffmann, Yves Gramlich

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Article in Archives of orthopaedic and trauma surgery, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

7 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
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  3. Concordance of three different methods to obtain samples for culture in reverse total shoulder arthroplasty: a prospective study.European journal of orthopaedic surgery & traumatology : orthopedie traumatologie · 2025
    Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Theresa FritscheDepartment of Trauma and Orthopedic Surgery, Berufsgenossenschaftliche Unfallklinik Frankfurt am Main, Friedberger Landstr. 430, 60389, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
Matthias SchnetzDepartment of Trauma and Orthopedic Surgery, Berufsgenossenschaftliche Unfallklinik Frankfurt am Main, Friedberger Landstr. 430, 60389, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
Alexander KlugDepartment of Trauma and Orthopedic Surgery, Berufsgenossenschaftliche Unfallklinik Frankfurt am Main, Friedberger Landstr. 430, 60389, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
Sebastian FischerDepartment of Trauma and Orthopedic Surgery, Berufsgenossenschaftliche Unfallklinik Frankfurt am Main, Friedberger Landstr. 430, 60389, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
Christian RuckesInterdisciplinary Center for Clinical Studies, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Langenbeckstrasse 1, Mainz, Germany.
K P HunfeldInstitute of Laboratory Medicine, Microbiology and Infection Control, Northwest Medical Center, Medical Faculty Goethe University Frankfurt, Steinbacher Hohl 2-26, 60488, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
Reinhard HoffmannDepartment of Trauma and Orthopedic Surgery, Berufsgenossenschaftliche Unfallklinik Frankfurt am Main, Friedberger Landstr. 430, 60389, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
Yves GramlichDepartment of Trauma and Orthopedic Surgery, Berufsgenossenschaftliche Unfallklinik Frankfurt am Main, Friedberger Landstr. 430, 60389, Frankfurt am Main, Germany. Yves.Gramlich@bgu-frankfurt.de.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5594-308X

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe aim of this study was to assess the role of sonication fluid cultures in detecting musculoskeletal infections in orthopedic revision surgery in patients suspected of having peri-prosthetic joint infection (PJI), fracture-related infections (FRI), or postoperative spinal implant infections (PSII).

methodsBetween 2016 and 2019, 149 cases with a data set including sonication fluid cultures and tissue specimen and histological analysis were included. Accuracy of each diagnostic tool as well as the influence of antibiotic therapy was analyzed. Pathogens identified in the sonication cultures and in the associated tissue samples were compared based on the matching of the antibiograms. Therapeutic benefits were then assessed.

resultsOf 149 cases, 43.6% (n = 65) were identified as PJI, 2.7% (n = 4) as FRI, 12.8% (n = 19) as PSII, 6.7% (n = 10) as aseptic non-union, and 34.2% (n = 51) as aseptic implant loosening. The sensitivity and specificity of tissue and synovial specimens showed no significant difference with respect to sonication fluid cultures (sensitivity/specificity: tissue: 68.2%/96.7%; sonication fluid cultures: 60.2%/98.4%). The administration of antibiotics over 14 days prior to microbiological sampling (n = 40) resulted in a lower sensitivity of 42.9% each. Histological analysis showed a sensitivity 86.3% and specificity of 97.4%. In 83.9% (n = 125) of the cases, the results of sonication fluid cultures and tissue specimens were identical. Different microorganisms were found in only four cases. In 17 cases, tissue samples (n = 5) or sonication (n = 12) were false-negatives.

conclusionSonication fluid culture showed no additional benefit compared to conventional microbiological diagnostics of tissue and synovial fluid cultures. Preoperative administration of antibiotics had a clearly negative effect on microbiologic test accuracy. In over 83.9% of the cases, sonication fluid and tissue cultures showed identical results. In the other cases, sonication fluid culture did not further contribute to the therapy decision, whereas other factors, such as fistulas, cell counts, or histological analysis, were decisive in determining therapy.

Indexed as

Arthritis, InfectiousOrthopedicsProsthesis-Related InfectionsHumansProstheses and ImplantsReoperationSensitivity and SpecificitySonicationMusculoskeletal infectionPeriprosthetic joint infectionPJISonicationSonificationTissue samples

Identifiers

PMID35612616

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.