DNA sequencing could catch infected hip and knee implants sooner

NCT ID NCT07838064

What the study statuses mean

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Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now This study
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Sep 24, 2026 · Last updated Sep 25, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

Prosthetic joint infection is a leading reason hip and knee replacements fail, and current tests often miss it. This study uses nanopore sequencing to compare bacteria and immune gene activity in tissue, joint fluid, and blood from people having revision surgery, both with and without infection. Researchers aim to find biomarkers that diagnose infection earlier and more accurately, and to see whether less invasive samples can work as well as tissue taken during surgery.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
nanopore sequencing to detect infection biomarkers
What this could lead to
If it works, doctors could diagnose infected hip and knee replacements earlier and more accurately, including with blood or joint fluid instead of surgery.
What could go wrong
This is a small, early study of 40 people, so it may not find reliable biomarkers or the results may not hold in larger groups. It tests diagnosis, not a treatment.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Participants

About 40 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Started

Feb 2026

Expected to finish

Nov 2027

An estimate. End dates often move.

Lead sponsor

A government agency

The lead sponsor is a government body.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

18 years and older

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * Male or Female, aged 18 years or above. * Due to undergo prosthetic revision surgery for any reason identified by the clinical team. * Participant is willing and able to give informed consent for participation in the study. * Pre-operative blood samples and at least 5 substantial peri-prosthetic tissue samples of a suitable size to be distributed between labs as outlined were successfully collected (note that it may not be possible to collect synovial fluid in all cases). Exclusion Criteria: * The participant has previously undergone any kind of revision surgery for their hip implant. * The participant has received any antibiotic treatment within the previous two weeks (excluding antibiotics at induction). * Participant lacking capacity to give informed consent. * Any other clinical reason the participant should not be included in the study- at the discretion of the clinical team.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

How to take part

Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.

  1. The places running it

    2 sites. The list below names each one and where it is.

  2. The official record

    ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.

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  3. A doctor treating you

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Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Queen Alexandra Hospital

    RECRUITING

    Portsmouth, PO6 3LY, United Kingdom

  • Southampton General Hospital

    NOT_YET_RECRUITING

    Southampton, SO16 6YD, United Kingdom

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