Bone and joint infections

Infections involving bone and joint are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. They can result in prolonged hospital stays, long courses of systemic antibiotics and frequently will require surgical intervention. In this review we will cover the commonest infections seen clinically. We have also chosen to divide the review into two sections: infections involving native tissue/joints and infections relating to prosthetic material. We have done this primarily because diagnostic and management pathways often vary according to whether there is prosthetic material present at the site of infection.