Our Research Programs

What are (PJIs)

Prosthetic joint infections (PJIs) remain one of the most devastating complications in orthopaedic surgery. Despite standard treatment—often involving multiple surgeries and prolonged courses of antibiotics—failure rates can reach 30–40 percent. For patients, the consequences go far beyond the infection itself: repeated hospital admissions, long-term disability, psychological toll, and in some cases, amputation or even death. With a reported mortality rate of 20 percent, PJI outcomes rival those seen in oncology.

Advancing Treatment

Dr. Hesham Abdelbary— one of our orthopaedic surgeons whose practice focuses on complex joint replacement and musculoskeletal oncology—is currently conducting research to explore novel therapies aimed at improving outcomes for these patients.

Targeted Bacterial Strains

Each phage type has a high specificity to a certain bacterial strain. Once a phage infects a bacterial cell, it overtakes its cellular machinery and functions as self-amplifying antibacterial therapy—infecting bacterial cells, lysing them, and releasing more phages directly into the infection site.

Crucially, they also produce enzymes that break down biofilm—a protective slime layer that forms on implants and shields bacteria from antibiotics and the immune system. By disrupting this barrier, phages allow antibiotics to penetrate and work more effectively, creating a synergistic effect that allows for a sequential treatment strategy.

Individual Patient

In a major step forward, the team recently treated their first Open Label Individual Patient (OLIP) trial for PJI patient suffering from multidrug resistant Pseudomonas using phage therapy. The trial was supported by Qeen Biotechnologies which provided the phage product and offered in-kind support for data analysis. Also, in collaboration with the Virtual Recovery After Surgery (VRAS) program, it was possible to administer the phage therapy safely as outpatient, which is the first to be done in Canada. This OLIP trial showed promising early clinical improvement and no safety concerns.

This trial is only the second phage-treated PJI case in Ottawa, and one of just four across Canada—part of a small but growing national effort. Internationally, more than 20 PJI patients have been treated in countries such as France, Belgium, and Australia with promising outcomes so far.

Novel Therapy

Dr. Hesham Abdelbary— one of our orthopaedic surgeons whose practice focuses on complex joint replacement and musculoskeletal oncology—is currently conducting research to explore novel therapies aimed at improving outcomes for these patients. Dr. Abdelbary's team is studying bacteriophages, or phages: viruses that naturally target and destroy bacterial cells. First discovered in the early 1900s by a French-Canadian scientist, Félix D'Hérelle, phages have seen renewed attention thanks to advancements in biotechnology that allow researchers to unravel phages’ unique antibacterial benefits.