Sufficient Penetration of Peracetic Acid into Drilled Human Femoral Heads

Abstract

Chemical sterilisation methods for musculoskeletal transplants have the problem of penetration into all tissue strata. The present study examined if a peracetic acid/ethanol solution penetrated to a sufficient extent into specifically prepared femoral heads. To this effect, 10 femoral heads have been provided with drillings (diameter 2 mm, depth 10 mm) at a distance of 15 mm (series B) and placed in a diffusion chamber with sterilisation solution. From an additional central drilling at the femoral neck junction, the sample drawing was made after 30 min each over a period of 4 h for the iodometric determination of peracetic acid (PAA) concentration. Ten femoral heads, which did contain only the central drilling, served as controls (series A). In 9 of the examined femoral heads of series A the defined minimum concentration of PAA of 0.2% (inactivation of bacteria, spores, fungi) has been clearly exceeded over the complete period of measurement. About 0.8% PAA (inactivation of viruses) was achieved within 4 h only with six femoral heads. Nine out of the 10 examined femoral heads in series B show a clearly improved penetration behaviour which was expressed in smaller standard deviations, a faster increase in concentration, as well as in higher starting and final concentrations (approx. 0.9%) of PAA. Previous drying in air leads to a faster penetration into the centre of the bone. Standardised drilling of decartilaged femoral heads creates favourable conditions for the penetration of the PAA sterilisation solution into the whole tissue and guarantees a sufficient inactivation of microorganisms.