Periprosthetic joint infection : lessons from the INFORM research programme

Infection is one of the most devastating complications following arthroplasty. The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) funded the multinational INFection ORthopaedic Management (INFORM) research programme to study this problem comprehensively, and then funded INFORM: Evidence into Practice to translate findings into the INFORM guidelines. This annotation outlines the key findings with particular emphasis on hip and knee arthroplasty, including risk factors, impact, diagnosis, and treatment, and suggests guidelines underpinned by high-quality evidence from the programme. Finally, future directions for research are discussed.