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Acute and chronic infections are a serious complication after implantation of a joint prosthesis and are difficult to diagnose due to the biofilm mode of the microorganism. Microbiological cultures can remain negative, so that additional tests such as a puncture of the synovial fluid with determining the leukocytes, or histopathological examination of the periprosthetic tissue are important. It is recommended to take multiple tissue samples intraoperatively from areas with presumably high bacterial density (interphase membranes or capsule). Newer biomarkers such as alpha-defensin or a multiplex PCR have been developed in recent years, but they are not yet part of the standard diagnostics. The following paper summarizes the strength and limits of the various diagnostic options in suspected PJL [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]