Promising Roles of PET in Management of Arthroplasty-Associated Infection.

ABSTRACT

A number of diagnostic tests is often necessary to differentiate aseptic loosening from periprosthetic infection in most clinical settings. The accuracy of [(18)F]Fluorodeoxyglucose examined with positron emission tomography imaging (FDG PET) in diagnosing periprosthetic infection has been determined by a number of investigations. In general, Images are considered positive for infection if they demonstrate increased FDG activity at the bone-prosthesis interface of the prostheses. Based on the large number of reports in the literature the sensitivity and specificity for FDG PET are about 85-90%. The overall accuracy of this non-invasive imaging modality is superior to the other existing imaging techniques. Therefore, FDG PET appears a very promising and accurate diagnosing tool for distinguishing septic from aseptic painful hip prostheses.