F-18-FDG PET for Diagnosing Infections in Prosthetic Joints

Periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) is a severe complication, associated with substantial morbidity and high costs. PJI can occur in the early postoperative period but also many years after joint replacement. Timely and accurate diagnosis is important for treatment planning. Diagnosis of PJI can be a challenge, especially for chronic and low-grade infections. The diagnostic performance of fludeoxyglucose F 18 (18F-FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) in detecting PJI seems sufficiently high for routine clinical application and has additional value to conventional tests. Further research is needed to determine the exact place of 18F-FDG PET in the diagnostic work-up of suspected PJI.