Fuchs M, et al. - In patients without clinical signs of infection, researchers assessed the bacterial colonization of any osteosynthetic implants around the hip and knee. Consecutive patients with osteosynthetic implant removal were prospectively included due to related soft tissue irritations or prior to hip and knee elective total joint arthroplasty. Regardless of the initial type of surgery, high bacterial implant colonization rates were detected. The most common causative agents of periprosthetic joint infections were staphylococci, predominant pathogens. Positive sonication outcomes do not necessarily lead to postoperative surgical complications and therefore do not equal infection. It remains unclear whether patients with evidence of bacterial implant colonization after adjacent total joint arthroplasty show a higher risk of periprosthetic joint infection. Nevertheless, in patients with osteosynthetic devices, surgeons should be aware of a significantly higher colonization rate of implants around the knee and take this into account when total knee arthroplasty is planned.