Because of the adoption of effective prophylactic measures such as improved operating room techniques and systemic antibiotics, the prosthetic infection rate for artificial joint procedures has been reduced to 1-2%. However, because of the devastating results and large number of prosthetic procedures, prosthetic infection remains a major challenge. Common pathogens and mechanisms of infection, methods of preventing bacterial adherence to biomaterial surfaces, and clinical preventive strategies for prosthetic infections are discussed.