Current Concepts in Shoulder Periprosthetic Joint Infections—Are Shoulders the Same as Hips and Knees?

Frank, Florian August; Müller, Andreas Marc; Morgenstern, Mario; Kuehl, Richard; Clauss, Martin

doi:10.3390/jcm14082578

Open AccessReview

Current Concepts in Shoulder Periprosthetic Joint Infections—Are Shoulders the Same as Hips and Knees?

by

Florian August Frank

^1,2

,

Andreas Marc Müller

²,

Mario Morgenstern

^1,2

,

Richard Kuehl

^1,3

and

Martin Clauss

^1,2,*

¹

Center for Musculoskelettal Infections (ZMSI), University Hospital Basel, 4031 Basel, Switzerland

²

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Traumatology, University Hospital Basel, 4031 Basel, Switzerland

³

Department of Infectious Diseases, University Hospital Basel, 4031 Basel, Switzerland

^*

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

J. Clin. Med. 2025, 14(8), 2578; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm14082578

Submission received: 28 February 2025 / Revised: 28 March 2025 / Accepted: 7 April 2025 / Published: 9 April 2025

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances, New Technologies and Optimization of Reverse Shoulder Arthroplasty)

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Abstract

Background/Objectives: The vast amount of research and data on periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) is focussed on infections in hip and knee replacements. This article aims to highlight the special features of PJI in shoulders. Methods: This narrative review is based on the recent and most relevant literature regarding PJI in general, and in shoulders in particular. Results: While the majority of findings for PJI in hips and knees can be transferred to infected shoulder arthroplasties, shoulder PJI represents a unique entity with a different microbial profile and its own diagnostic challenges. Conclusions: As profound evidence for shoulder PJI is lacking, diagnostic and therapeutic algorithms should be transferred from those for PJI in hips and knees. Further research is necessary to determine optimal management of shoulder PJI.

Keywords: periprosthetic joint infection; shoulder arthroplasty; narrative review; current concepts

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MDPI and ACS Style

Frank, F.A.; Müller, A.M.; Morgenstern, M.; Kuehl, R.; Clauss, M. Current Concepts in Shoulder Periprosthetic Joint Infections—Are Shoulders the Same as Hips and Knees? J. Clin. Med. 2025, 14, 2578. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm14082578

AMA Style

Frank FA, Müller AM, Morgenstern M, Kuehl R, Clauss M. Current Concepts in Shoulder Periprosthetic Joint Infections—Are Shoulders the Same as Hips and Knees? Journal of Clinical Medicine. 2025; 14(8):2578. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm14082578

Chicago/Turabian Style

Frank, Florian August, Andreas Marc Müller, Mario Morgenstern, Richard Kuehl, and Martin Clauss. 2025. "Current Concepts in Shoulder Periprosthetic Joint Infections—Are Shoulders the Same as Hips and Knees?" Journal of Clinical Medicine 14, no. 8: 2578. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm14082578

APA Style

Frank, F. A., Müller, A. M., Morgenstern, M., Kuehl, R., & Clauss, M. (2025). Current Concepts in Shoulder Periprosthetic Joint Infections—Are Shoulders the Same as Hips and Knees? Journal of Clinical Medicine, 14(8), 2578. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm14082578

Note that from the first issue of 2016, this journal uses article numbers instead of page numbers. See further details here.

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Current Concepts in Shoulder Periprosthetic Joint Infections—Are Shoulders the Same as Hips and Knees?

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