As with other organs in the body, the musculoskeletal system is subjected to infection. Although the most common infection in the United States is pyogenic osteomyelitis, virtually all types of infectious agents infect the musculoskeletal system, including viruses, pyogenic bacteria, mycobacteria, spirochetes, and fungi. Infection can cause both acute and chronic forms of disease1.
The currently available tests for infection fall into two broad categories: bacterial detection techniques and host response measures. The bacterial detection techniques include tissue culture and PCR. Both tests can identify bacteria but are susceptible to contamination in the surgical field, during sample handling, and in the laboratory setting. Therefore, these tests have false positive results. Techniques that assess the host response include systemic measures such as the erythrocyte sedimentation rate ,the C-reactive protein level, and the Interleukin-6 level and local measures such as the synovial fluid white blood cell count and the tissue WBC count as seen by histopathology1
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