Richard van de Wateringen

One of the biggest problems of a total joint (e.g., hip/knee) replacement is a prosthetic joint infection (PJI), counting for almost 60.000 cases per year. Treatment is highly invasive for the patient and has a high impact on health care spending. To remove the bacterial biofilm is very difficult with recurrent infection and morbidity as a risk. By using antibacterial implant heating the bacterial biofilm can easily be removed with a 1.5-minute segmental treatment intra operatively, using induction, which removes the bacterial colonization from the implant. The heating reaches areas, where irrigation and antibiotics cannot. A one-time operative, highly cost saving, procedure with an improved patient outcome.