What are the chances of infection in artificial joint replacement? In recent years, artificial joint replacement has been a boon to patients with joint disease and has greatly improved their quality of life. With the increase in the standard of living and aging of the population, the number of joint replacements has been increasing year after year. Infection is a serious complication of arthroplasty. The incidence of infection after initial arthroplasty is generally about 1%. There is a slight increase in the incidence in revision patients. What are the conditions that predispose to post-arthroplasty infection? The following risk factors have been identified: revision surgery, prolonged surgery, rheumatoid arthritis, obesity, diabetes, malnutrition, use of immunosuppressive drugs, gingivitis, onychomycosis, psoriasis, tinea pedis or skin ulcers, open skin lesions on the affected limb, previous history of osteomyelitis or infectious arthropathy, long-term intravenous drug use and HIV infection. What are the clinical manifestations of periprosthetic infection after arthroplasty? Infections are often classified as acute or chronic. Acute prosthetic infections are usually spread from contaminated blood or superficial wounds to deeper areas and can manifest as persistent joint pain after surgery; patients may experience increased local skin temperature, swelling, and recurrent purulent fluid discharge from the wounds, as well as systemic symptoms of infection, including fever, chills, and sweating. Chronic infections are characterized by progressively more severe dysfunction and persistent postoperative pain, usually occurring months or years after surgery. For unexplained persistent pain in the affected limb after surgery, even when the joint is functioning well at rest, the possibility of infection should be highly suspected. How can I diagnose a suspected infection? There are no definite criteria for the diagnosis of infection after arthroplasty, and a comprehensive diagnostic analysis is often needed in combination with the following points 1. Detailed history taking and careful physical examination is an important part of the diagnosis of infection. For example, wound healing after arthroplasty, especially if there is prolonged postoperative exudation, may suggest infection. 2. Laboratory tests: routine tests such as white blood cell count, sedimentation (ESR), and C-reactive protein (CRP). 3.Bacterial culture: Bacterial culture is often considered the gold standard for the diagnosis of post-arthroplasty infection, but the diagnostic significance is not very high due to the low sensitivity and specificity, especially for early cases of infection. 4. Pathological diagnosis: The diagnosis of cases is often made at a later stage of infection, when joint revision is performed, and the material is taken intraoperatively. As with bacterial culture it is not suitable for patients with early suspected infection. All of the above methods are comprehensive reference indicators. The diagnosis of periprosthetic infection after arthroplasty remains a difficult clinical task, which, of course, is all the more dependent on the work experience of the surgeon and the level of equipment in the department and laboratory. What happens when infection is diagnosed? Infection is a serious complication for joint replacement, but there is no need to panic if you have an infection. We give effective antibiotic treatment to patients with early diagnosis and guide them through the rehabilitation process to reduce the probability of debridement. For patients with clear infection, we advocate a complete phase I debridement and replacement of the prosthesis. For patients with advanced infection and severe symptoms, we perform debridement, phase I or phase II revision depending on the patient’s specific situation. We strive to restore the function of the patient’s joint. The patient can walk freely.