A nine-analyte synovial panel consisting of PDGF-B, CXCL5, CXCL11, MCP-2 (CCL8), ANGPT1, TIE2, EGF, NOS3, and Gal-1 distinguished dormant infection from truly aseptic cases with 100% specificity and positive predictive value (sensitivity 22%, negative predictive value 74%). Here, CXCL11 is linked to infection.