Researchers at The Royal Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust have released the first clinical data backing real-time fluorescence imaging to guide revision knee arthroplasty in cases of periprosthetic joint infection.

MolecuLight and The Royal Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (ROH) have released findings from the inaugural clinical investigation into fluorescence imaging applied during orthopedic procedures.

The study, appearing in BMJ Open and performed independently by senior surgeons at the ROH, titled "Can a fluorescent imaging device (MolecuLight) function as an adjunct to surgical debridement during revision knee arthroplasty for periprosthetic infection in a tertiary centre: a feasibility study," supplies the earliest clinical proof for employing the MolecuLight DX imaging system in revision knee arthroplasty to address periprosthetic joint infection.

Periprosthetic joint infection ranks among the gravest complications after joint replacement. Thorough excision of infected tissue via radical surgical debridement is essential to lowering the chance of ongoing or returning infection, yet pinpointing every zone of bacterial contamination continues to pose difficulties.

In this forward-looking pilot trial involving ten patients at the ROH, surgeons applied MolecuLight fluorescence imaging after conventional surgical debridement to evaluate the operative site for leftover bacterial load. Regions showing bacterial fluorescence missed during the first debridement were then biopsied, and microbiological testing verified the identical bacterial species that had caused the periprosthetic joint infection.

"This feasibility study suggests that the MolecuLight device could help surgeons refine their radical debridement during revision knee surgery for prosthetic joint infection, viewed as the crucial action to limit the harm of recurrent infection," stated Professor Jonathon Stevenson, senior author and Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon at the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital, Birmingham. "This marks the initial effort to explore how MolecuLight might support these intricate operations. Additional, larger trials are needed to validate these promising and original results."

Mr James Archer, Speciality Registrar in Trauma and Orthopaedics at the ROH and lead author, adds "This feasibility study delivers the first evidence indicating that MolecuLight could support surgeons during revision procedures for periprosthetic joint infection of the knee. We anticipate conducting expanded studies to investigate this further."

"This publication marks a key advance for fluorescence imaging outside chronic wound management," noted Anil Amlani, Chief Executive Officer of MolecuLight. "We recognize the excellent contributions of Professor Stevenson, Mr. Archer and the ROH team. Their work supplies the first published support for real-time fluorescence imaging in orthopedic surgery and lays a vital base for upcoming clinical research."

The publication creates fresh pathways for MolecuLight's expanding presence in perioperative surgical uses globally. By furnishing surgeons with instant visual data on residual bacterial burden that might otherwise go unnoticed, the technology could aid more precise intraoperative choices. Continued investigation linking these observations to improved surgical results may show fewer follow-up resections and reduced infection issues.

About The Royal Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

The Royal Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust stands as one of Europe's largest specialist orthopedic centers, delivering planned orthopedic surgery to patients locally, nationally and internationally. The Trust holds accreditation as a Veteran Aware organization and a Disability Confident Leader. It maintains an active research program encompassing clinical trials, observational studies and laboratory work that examine new treatment paths, fresh rehabilitation methods and novel medical devices. This research is carried out by staff across the Knowledge Hub, the center for education and research, and the Dubrowsky Regenerative Medicine Laboratory, a modern facility opened in 2019.

About MolecuLight

MolecuLight is a privately held medical imaging firm operating worldwide that produces and markets the MolecuLight i:X and DX wound imaging systems. These Class II FDA-cleared, point-of-care devices allow real-time detection of elevated bacterial load in wounds and deliver precise digital wound measurement for thorough wound care, backed by more than 100 peer-reviewed publications. With the new Thermal Imaging Module, the MolecuLight DX now permits clinicians to see and measure clinically relevant temperature shifts at the point of care.

SOURCE MolecuLight