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German Congress of Orthopaedics and Traumatology (DKOU 2019)

22. - 25.10.2019, Berlin

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Contamination of suture material and irrigation fluid over time during athroscopic reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament (primary and revision) and meniscus surgery

Meeting Abstract

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  • presenting/speaker Benjamin Bartek - Univ.- Klinikum Charité, Campus Mitte, Berlin, Centrum für Muskuloskeletale Chirurgie, Berlin, Germany
  • Anja Garbe - Univ.- Klinikum Charité, Campus Mitte, Berlin, Centrum für Muskuloskeletale Chirurgie, Berlin, Germany
  • Clemens Gwinner - Charite - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Centrum für Muskuloskeletale Chirurgie, (CMSC), Berlin, Germany
  • Tarek Guy Schelberger - Univ.- Klinikum Charité, Campus Mitte, Berlin, Centrum für Muskuloskeletale Chirurgie, Berlin, Germany
  • Michael Fuchs - Universitätsklinikum Ulm, Klinik für Orthopädie, Ulm, Germany
  • Carsten Perka - Univ.- Klinikum Charité, Campus Mitte, Berlin, Centrum für Muskuloskeletale Chirurgie, Berlin, Germany
  • Tobias Jung - Univ.- Klinikum Charité, Campus Mitte, Berlin, Centrum für Muskuloskeletale Chirurgie, Berlin, Germany

Deutscher Kongress für Orthopädie und Unfallchirurgie (DKOU 2019). Berlin, 22.-25.10.2019. Düsseldorf: German Medical Science GMS Publishing House; 2019. DocAB75-849

doi: 10.3205/19dkou682, urn:nbn:de:0183-19dkou6822

Published: October 22, 2019

© 2019 Bartek et al.
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License. See license information at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.

Outline

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Fragestellung: During arthroscopic surgical procedures, some amount of irrigation fluid leaks from the surgical site and accumulates in the sterile reservoir. Whether these fluid collections show bacterial contamination over time in meniscus surgery and reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) remains unclear.

Methodik: In this study, we include 200 patients. 100 patients undergoing ACL reconstruction and 100 patients undergoing meniscus surgery. We collected the samples of irrigation fluid before skin incision and every 15 minutes after the start of surgery. In addition, we evaluated the different types of suture material (Fast Fix and Outside-Inside threads in meniscus surgery and ACL reconstruction threads) for bacterial contamination.

Ergebnisse und Schlussfolgerung: At this point we evaluated samples of 80 patients (irrigation fluid of 80 patients, suture material of 49 patients). While no fluid sample showed contamination after 15 minutes, we overall detected bacterial contamination in 20%. Suture material was contaminated with bacteria in 39% of cases.

Fluid surgical drape reservoirs were abacterial during the first 15 minutes but showed marked bacterial contamination over time. During surgery, irrigation fluid reservoirs should not be withdrawn by suction after skin incision. The tendency of bacterial contamination of the suture material and irrigation fluid reservoir over time has to be further explored. The continues flush and perioperative use of antibiotics might take an important impact on the low number of joint infection compared to the contamination ratio of the suture material. In addition, the effect of saturating suture material with antibiotics needs to be explored.