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Soaking of the graft in vancomycin dramatically reduces the incidence of postoperative septic arthritis after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction

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Knee Surgery, Sports Traumatology, Arthroscopy Aims and scope

Abstract

Purpose

To determine and compare the incidence of postoperative septic arthritis following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) with and without soaking of the graft in vancomycin solution prior to implantation in a large single-centre case series.

Methods

From 2004 to 2019, a total of 10,516 primary ACLR were performed and reviewed with regard to the occurrence of postoperative septic arthritis. From February 2017 onwards, all grafts were wrapped in a vancomycin-soaked (5 mg/ml) gauze swab between harvest and implantation (2294 patients, treatment group (2), prospectively followed). These were compared to 8222 patients before that date (control group (1), retrospectively evaluated). The technique of ACLR did not significantly change during the years of the study. There was no difference between the groups with regard to graft choice: Hamstring tendons were used in 99% and quadriceps tendons were used in 1% in both groups, respectively (n.s.). Routine follow-up examination was performed at 6 weeks (follow-up rate 97.1%) postoperatively. Patients with no treatment for septic arthritis at that time were classified as non-infected.

Results

There were 35 cases of postoperative septic arthritis in group 1 (incidence: 0.4%), and none in group 2 (incidence 0.0%), respectively. The difference was significant (p < 0.001).

Conclusions

Soaking of the graft in vancomycin solution prior to implantation dramatically reduces the incidence of postoperative septic arthritis in primary ACLR and should, therefore, be used in prevention of this major complication.

Level of evidence

III.

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Funding

The authors received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Sports Orthopedics and Special Joint Surgery, Orthopedic Hospital Markgroeningen, Kurt-Lindemann-Weg 10, 71706, Markgroeningen, Germany

    Philipp Schuster, Michael Schlumberger, Philipp Mayer, Martin Eichinger & Jörg Richter

  2. Clinic Nuremberg, Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Paracelsus Medical Private University, Nuremberg, Germany

    Philipp Schuster, Markus Geßlein & Friederike Reddemann

  3. Department of Trauma Surgery, University Hospital Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria

    Michael Schlumberger

Authors
  1. Philipp Schuster
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  2. Michael Schlumberger
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  3. Philipp Mayer
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  4. Martin Eichinger
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  5. Markus Geßlein
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  6. Friederike Reddemann
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  7. Jörg Richter
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Correspondence to Philipp Schuster.

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The authors declare they have no conflict of interest.

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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. The study was approved by the competent ethical committee.

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Schuster, P., Schlumberger, M., Mayer, P. et al. Soaking of the graft in vancomycin dramatically reduces the incidence of postoperative septic arthritis after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc 28, 2587–2591 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00167-020-05882-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00167-020-05882-0

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