Harnessing the Biologic Power of Bacteriophages to Improve the Treatment of Periprosthetic Joint Infection: Barriers and Future Directions.

Abdelbary, Hesham; Malko, Sasha; Taha, Mariam; Crawley, Angela M; Powell, James Nelson; Abedi, Armita Armina; Suh, Gina A; Citak, Mustafa · J Bone Joint Surg Am · 2026

review · Level V

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Abstract

➢ Periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) remains the most common cause of failure after total joint arthroplasty, with current standard therapies associated with failure rates between 10% and 30%.➢ The 2025 International Consensus Meeting in Istanbul, Türkiye, highlighted the potential benefits of bacteriophage (phage) therapy in managing PJI.➢ One of the barriers to integrating phage therapy into standard clinical PJI care is the knowledge gap between preclinical research and clinical practice.➢ This Expert Review summarizes the key therapeutic advantages of using phages as an adjuvant therapeutic platform for PJI. It also highlights the current challenges that are continuing to limit the integration of phages into standard PJI care.