Addressing important evidence gaps in the management of prosthetic joint infection: clinician attitudes and equipoise

Hip or knee replacement is complicated by deep infection (Prosthetic joint infection [PJI]) in 1%–2% of cases, causing morbidity, high healthcare costs, and productivity loss.1, 2 In 2020, 112 000 knee and hip replacements were done in Australia.3 Treatment typically requires lengthy antibiotic courses and one or more operations, with variable cure rates (30%–70%, mean 50% after 24 months).4 There is a pressing need to establish more effective surgical and antibiotic strategies. In a previous survey, we identified key clinician priorities for future randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of PJI.5 A critical obstacle in researching PJI treatments is the lack of equipoise among experts. Hence, we designed a survey to assess current practices and equipoise in PJI treatment among physicians and surgeons, aiming to identify variations and inform future RCTs.