Biomaterial-related infection of joint replacements is the second most common cause of
implant failure, with serious consequences. Chronically infected replacements cannot be
treated without removal of the implant, as the biofilm mode of growth protects the bacteria
against antibiotics. This review discusses biofilm formation on joint replacements and the
important clinical phenomenon of small-colony variants (SCVs). These slow-growing
phenotypic variants often remain undetected or are misdiagnosed using hospital …