Graft Preparation with Intraoperative Vancomycin Decreases Infection After ACL Reconstruction: A Review of 1,640 Cases.

BACKGROUND: Reported infection rates following anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction are low, but infections are associated with high morbidity including reoperations and inferior clinical outcomes. The purpose of the current study was to investigate the rate of infection after ACL reconstruction with and without graft preparation with a vancomycin irrigant. METHODS: All ACL reconstructions performed between May 2009 and August 2018 at a single academic institution were reviewed and categorized based on vancomycin use. Patients with <90-day follow-up, intraoperative graft preparation with an antibiotic other than vancomycin, or previous ipsilateral knee infection were excluded. Infection was defined as a return to the operating room for irrigation and debridement within 90 days after ACL reconstruction. Descriptive and inferential statistical analysis using t tests and Poisson regression were performed, with significance defined as p < 0.05. RESULTS: In total, 1,640 patients (952 males; 58.0%) with a mean age (and standard deviation) of 27.7 ± 11.4 years underwent ACL reconstruction (1,379 primary procedures; 84.1%) and were included for analysis. Intraoperative vancomycin was used in 798 cases (48.7%), whereas 842 ACL reconstructions (51.3%) were performed without intraoperative vancomycin. In total, 11 reconstructions (0.7%) were followed by infection, which occurred in 10 (1.2%) of the patients in whom the graft was not soaked in vancomycin and in 1 (0.1%) of the patients in whom the graft was soaked in vancomycin (p = 0.032). Age (p = 0.571), sex (p = 0.707), smoking (p = 0.407), surgeon (p = 0.124), and insurance type (p = 0.616) were not associated with postoperative infection risk. Autograft use was associated with decreased infections (p = 0.045). There was an 89.4% relative risk reduction with the use of intraoperative vancomycin. An increased body mass index (BMI) (p = 0.029), increased operative time (p = 0.001), and the absence of ACL graft preparation with vancomycin (p = 0.032) independently predicted postoperative infection. CONCLUSIONS: The use of vancomycin-soaked grafts was associated with a 10-fold reduction in infection after ACL reconstruction (0.1% versus 1.2%; p = 0.032). Other risk factors for infection after ACL reconstruction included increased BMI and increased operative time. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Clinical outcomes of patellar chondral lesions treated with juvenile particulated cartilage allografts.

BACKGROUND: Juvenile particulated cartilage allograft (DeNovo NT®, Zimmer, Warsaw, IN) transplantation is a relatively new technology for the treatment of high-grade cartilage lesions. To date there is limited literature demonstrating its effectiveness and safety. The present study specifically looks at the short-term efficacy of DeNovo NT® allograft for symptomatic high-grade cartilage lesions of the patella. Clinical outcomes and complications are reported. METHODS: Seventeen cases of DeNovo NT® allograft transplantation at our institution were retrospectively reviewed from 2010 to 2013. Thirteen patients had the procedure performed for patellar lesions and are included in the present study. A chart review was performed to record demographic data, surgical technique, and complications. In addition, we analyzed preoperative and postoperative KOOS outcome scores. RESULTS: The mean age was 22.5 years (range, 14-34), with 3 males and 10 females. Mean follow-up was 8.2 months (range, 0.67-32.7). Six of the patients had concomitant anteromedialization of the tibial tubercle. DeNovo NT® allograft transplantation resulted in improvement for each outcome measure used. Overall KOOS score significantly improved from a mean of 58.4±15.7 to 69.2±18.6 (P = 0.04). Improvement in KOOS subscales of pain, ADL, and symptoms all approached but did not reach statistical significance (P values between 0.05 and 0.10). There were no infections or hardware complications. CONCLUSIONS: This series demonstrates that DeNovo NT® allograft transplantation for symptomatic high-grade cartilage lesions of the patella results in pain relief and improved outcomes in the short term. Further studies are needed to better evaluate this new technology. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV, therapeutic case series.