The routine use of intraoperative vancomycin powder to prevent postoperative wound infections has not been borne out in the literature in the pediatric spine population. The goal of this study is to determine the impact of vancomycin powder on postoperative wound infection rates and determine its potential impact on microbiology. A retrospective analysis of the Harms Study Group database of 1269 adolescent idiopathic scoliosis patients was performed. Patients that underwent a posterior fusion from 2004-2018 were analyzed. A comparative analysis of postoperative infection rates was done between patients that received vancomycin powder to those who did not. Statistical significance was determined using Chi-squared test. Additionally, the microbiology of infected patients was examined. In total, 765 patients in the vancomycin group (VG) were compared to 504 patients in the non-vancomycin group (NVG). NVG had a significantly higher rate of deep wound infection (p<0.0001) and associated reoperation rate compared to VG (p<0.0001). Both groups were compared for age, gender, race, weight, surgical time, blood loss, number of levels instrumented, and preop curve magnitude. There were significant differences between the groups for race (p<0.0001); surgical time (p=0.0033), and blood loss (p=0.0021). In terms of microbiology, VG grew p.acnes (n=2), and serratia (n=1), whereas NVG grew p.acnes (n=1) and gram positive bacilli (n=1). The remaining cultures were negative. The use of intraoperative vancomycin powder in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis appears to contribute significantly to deep wound infection prevention and reduction of associated reoperations. Based on this study's limited culture data, Vancomycin does not seem to alter the microbiology of deep wound infections

Introduction. Infections in total joint arthroplasty (TJA) are a burden to the healthcare system. An infection in total joint arthroplasty costs nearly $60,000–80,000 to the system. 3 major tenets to decrease surgical site infections, focus on patient preoperative optimization, intraoperative techniques, and postoperative care. Intraoperative vancomycin powder been successful in lowering infection rates in other areas of orthopaedics. The purpose of our study was to investigate whether topical intraoperative vancomycin powder had any effect on surgical site infection, complication rate, or reoperation rate. Our hypothesis was vancomycin powder may decrease the rate of surgical site infections without any effect on wound complications. Materials & Methods. 208 consecutive patients undergoing either total hip or total knee arthroplasty (THA or TKA) were given intraoperative vancomycin powder or none. 64 patients received vancomycin poweder compared to 164 patients who did not. All preoperative, intraoperative and postoperative management was similar. Preoperative data including age, sex, BMI, diabetes status and comorbidities were recorded. Surgical techniques included medial parapatellar or subvastus for TKA, posterolateral for THA. 90-day culture positive infection and reoperation rates were recorded. Results. Preoperative variables between the two groups were similar. Average age, ASA, BMI, diabetes status and other preoperative patient variables were not significantly different (p=0.31, 0.19, 0.65, 0.31). 5/64 patients (7.8%) in the vancomycin group underwent reoperation, compared with 13/164 (9.0%) in the no vancomycin group. There was no difference in the rate of reoperations (p=0.777). Of these patients, 3/64 (4.69%) patients in the vancomycin group had a positive infection compared with 8/164 (5.55%) in the no vancomycin group. There was no significant differences between the two infection rates (p=0.807). Discussion. Surprisingly, vancomycin powder did not have any effect on reoperation nor infection rates in our study group. Although other studies may have shown a decrease in infection, ours failed to do so. Due to low study numbers, we could not differentiate deep versus superficial surgical site infections. Based on our study, we are unable to recommend the use of intraoperative vancomycin powder for total joint arthroplasty

Introduction. The utility of vancomycin powder application into the surgical site has recently shown efficacy in decreasing infections in patients undergoing thoracolumbar spine surgery. The effect on polyethylene wear after intraoperative placement of vancomycin powder at the surgical site of total joint replacements has not been determined. The purpose of this study is to compare wear behavior of material couples of Cobalt Chromium Alloy (CoCr) on ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) to identical wear couples with vancomycin powder added prior to the start of wear simulation. Methods. A custom-designed six-station wear simulator was used to establish in vitrowear characteristics of CoCr on UHMWPE on test articles fabricated from materials identical to total knee implants. Three stations included vancomycin powder added to the 36% bovine calf serum solution used in each station. Cyclic articulation simulations were run for 10 million cycles (Mc) at 4 ± 0.3 Hz under a constant axial load of 89N over 25 degrees of flexion-extension. UHMWPE wear was measured using photography, stereomicroscopic examination, and gravimetric measurements at the end of 0.5, 1, 2.5, 5, and 10 Mc. Results. After photographic and stereomicrographic examination, no significant differences between the UHMWPE wear mark length, width, and area of the vancomycin group and the control group were found at any of the time points. There was no gravimetrically detectable difference in the amount of wear between the two groups. The vancomycin test group lost an average of 0.13 ± 0.07 after 2.5 MC and similarly the control test group lost an average of 0.13 ± 0.15 mg (p = 0.95). Discussion. The addition of vancomycin powder to CoCr on UHMWPE wear simulator demonstrated no detrimental effects on the prostheses in vitro. Topical vancomycin powder may have a role in infection prevention after total joint arthroplasty. A well designed clinical study is needed to further elucidate this role

Topically applied vancomycin powder has been used to decrease surgical site infection rates in spinal surgeries, however, randomized controlled trials in total joint arthroplasty are lacking. Application of vancomycin powder topically in the surgical site has theoretical benefit including high local concentration. In this study, we aimed to determine whether intra-operative topical antibiotics are safe and effective as IV antibiotics in preventing post-surgical site infections. The trial was a randomized controlled, double blind, non-inferiority study. All patients received pre-operative IV antibiotics (cefazolin or vancomycin) within 60 minutes of skin incision. The controlled group received two doses of post-operative IV antibiotics (two grams cefazolin or one gram vancomycin if cefazolin allergy). In the treatment group, the orthopaedic surgeon applied one gram vancomycin powder (500mg applied directly on the prosthesis and 500mg applied above the closed joint capsule). The incidence of acute surgical site infection was defined as positive deep cultures within 42 days of procedure. All patients with evidence of infection underwent joint aspiration for culture. After one year, 80 patients had received the topical vancomycin treatment and 85 patients had received the standard treatment. In the topical vancomycin group versus the controlled group, the average age was 64 vs 66, average BMI was 35.7 vs 33.4, number of males 33 vs 29, number of females 47 vs 56, and diabetic patients 16 vs 13. The number of infections in the topical vancomycin group was three vs zero in the post-operative IV antibiotic treatment group. One Tailed Z-test P Value = 0.03. This study statistically demonstrated inferiority of topical vancomycin in comparison to the use of IV antibiotics post-operatively in preventing deep wound infections in TKA. The authors would caution against the sole use of intra-operative vancomycin in TKA to prevent post-operative infection

Aims. There is increasing evidence to support the use of topical antibiotics to prevent surgical site infections. Although previous research suggests a minimal nephrotoxic risk with a single dose of vancomycin powder, fracture patients often require multiple procedures and receive additional doses of topical antibiotics. We aimed to determine if cumulative doses of intrawound vancomycin or tobramycin powder for infection prophylaxis increased the risk of drug-induced acute kidney injury (AKI) among fracture patients. Methods. This cohort study was a secondary analysis of single-centre Program of Randomized Trials to Evaluate Pre-operative Antiseptic Skin Solutions in Orthopaedic Trauma (PREP-IT) trial data. We included patients with a surgically treated appendicular fracture. The primary outcome was drug-induced AKI. The odds of AKI per gram of vancomycin or tobramycin powder were calculated using Bayesian regression models, which adjusted for measured confounders and accounted for the interactive effects of vancomycin and tobramycin. Results. Of the 782 included patients (mean age 48 years (SD 20); 59% male), 83% (n = 648) received at least one vancomycin dose (cumulative range 1 to 12 g). Overall, 45% of the sample received at least one tobramycin dose (cumulative range 1.2 to 9.6 g). Drug-induced AKI occurred in ten patients (1.2%). No association was found between the cumulative dose of vancomycin and drug-induced AKI (odds ratio (OR) 1.08 (95% credible interval (CrI) 0.52 to 2.14)). Additional doses of tobramycin were associated with a three-fold increase in the adjusted odds of drug-induced AKI (OR 3.66 (95% CrI 1.71 to 8.49)). Specifically, the risk of drug-induced AKI rose substantially after 4.8 g of tobramycin powder (7.5% (95% CrI 1.0 to 35.3)). Conclusion. Cumulative doses of vancomycin were not associated with an increased risk of drug-induced AKI among fracture patients. While the risk of drug-induced AKI remains less than 4% with three or fewer 1.2 g tobramycin doses, the estimated risk increases substantially to 8% after four cumulative doses. Level of evidence: Therapeutic Level III. Cite this article: Bone Jt Open 2022;3(4):284–290

Aims. Despite recent literature questioning their use, vancomycin and clindamycin often substitute cefazolin as the preoperative antibiotic prophylaxis in primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA), especially in the setting of documented allergy to penicillin. Topical povidone-iodine lavage and vancomycin powder (VIP) are adjuncts that may further broaden antimicrobial coverage, and have shown some promise in recent investigations. The purpose of this study, therefore, is to compare the risk of acute periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) in primary TKA patients who received cefazolin and VIP to those who received a non-cephalosporin alternative and VIP. Methods. This was a retrospective cohort study of 11,550 primary TKAs performed at an orthopaedic hospital between 2013 and 2019. The primary outcome was PJI occurring within 90 days of surgery. Patients were stratified into two groups (cefazolin vs non-cephalosporin) based on their preoperative antibiotic. All patients also received the VIP protocol at wound closure. Bivariate and multiple logistic regression analyses were performed to control for potential confounders and identify the odds ratio of PJI. Results. In all, 10,484 knees (90.8%) received cefazolin, while 1,066 knees (9.2%) received a non-cephalosporin agent (either vancomycin or clindamycin) as preoperative prophylaxis. The rate of PJI in the cefazolin group (0.5%; 48/10,484) was significantly lower than the rate of PJI in the non-cephalosporin group (1.0%; 11/1,066) (p = 0.012). After controlling for confounding variables, the odds ratio (OR) of developing a PJI was increased in the non-cephalosporin cohort compared to the cefazolin cohort (OR 2.389; 1.2 to 4.6); p = 0.01). Conclusion. Despite the use of topical irrigant solutions and addition of local antimicrobial agents, the use of a non-cephalosporin perioperative antibiotic continues to be associated with a greater risk of TKA PJI compared to cefazolin. Strategies that increase the proportion of patients receiving cefazolin rather than non-cephalosporin alternatives must be emphasized. Cite this article: Bone Jt Open 2022;3(1):35–41

Aims. High-energy injuries can result in multiple complications, the most prevalent being infection. Vancomycin powder has been used with increasing frequency in orthopaedic trauma given its success in reducing infection following spine surgery. Additionally, large, traumatic injuries require wound coverage and management by dressings such as negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT). NPWT has been shown to decrease the ability of antibiotic cement beads to reduce infection, but its effect on antibiotic powder is not known. The goal of this study was to determine if NPWT reduces the efficacy of topically applied antibiotic powder. Methods. Complex musculoskeletal wounds were created in goats and inoculated with a strain of Staphylococcus aureus modified to emit light. Six hours after contaminating the wounds, imaging, irrigation, and debridement and treatment application were performed. Animals received either vancomycin powder with a wound pouch dressing or vancomycin powder with NPWT. Results. There were no differences in eradication of bacteria when vancomycin powder was used in combination with NPWT (4.5% of baseline) compared to vancomycin powder with a wound pouch dressing (1.7% of baseline) (p = 0.986), even though approximately 50% of the vancomycin was recovered in the NPWT exudate canister. Conclusion. The antimicrobial efficacy of the vancomycin powder was not diminished by the application of NPWT. These topical and locally applied therapies are potentially effective tools that can provide quick, simple treatments to prevent infection while providing coverage. By reducing the occurrence of infection, the recovery is shortened, leading to an overall improvement in quality of life. Cite this article: Bone Joint Res 2021;10(2):149–155

Aims

Biofilm-related infection is a major complication that occurs in orthopaedic surgery. Various treatments are available but efficacy to eradicate infections varies significantly. A systematic review was performed to evaluate therapeutic interventions combating biofilm-related infections on in vivo animal models.

Aims

We aimed to determine the concentrations of synovial vancomycin and meropenem in patients treated by single-stage revision combined with intra-articular infusion following periprosthetic joint infection (PJI), thereby validating this drug delivery approach.

Introduction. The management of open long bone fractures is well described and has been standardised through a number of well-established guidelines. However, there is no consensus regarding the application of local antibiotics into the open fracture site as a means of reducing infection rates. Materials & Methods. A systematic review and meta-analysis were undertaken as per PRISMA guidelines. PROSPERO Registration CRD42022323545. PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus and CENTRAL were the databases assessed. The Newcastle Ottawa Scale and the Rob 2 Tool were used to assess bias. A qualitative synthesis of all included studies and meta-analysis of suitable subgroups was undertaken. Results. In total, 12 studies (11 observational, 1 RCT) assessing 2431 open fractures were included for analysis. All compared the addition of a local antibiotic therapy to a standard treatment versus the standard treatment alone. The methods of delivery were vancomycin powder (4 papers), tobramycin polymethylmethacrylate beads (4 papers), gentamicin coated intramedullary (IM) nails (2 papers), gentamicin injections (1 paper) and antibiotic released IM core cement (1 paper). The addition of vancomycin powder did not decrease infection rates in comparison to intravenous antibiotics alone (OR 1.3, 95% CI (0.75 – 2.26)). Antibiotic coated IM Nails appear to have an association with lower infection rates than standard IM Nails. PMMA antibiotics have shown varied results in reducing infection rates depending on the individual studies. Conclusions. There are numerous methods available to deliver antibiotics locally to an open fracture site. Further high-quality research is required to provide a definitive conclusion on their efficacy irrespective of delivery method

Surgical site infections following orthopaedic surgery are a serious complication associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Intra-wound antibiotic powder may be able to provide infection prophylaxis locally with less systemic adverse effects, and promising results have been reported in systematic reviews of its use in spine surgery. This study aims to analyse the efficacy and adverse effect profile of intra-wound antibiotics in reducing surgical site infections in orthopaedic surgery for traumatic pelvic and lower limb fractures. A systematic review was conducted for studies reporting on the incidence of surgical site infections following administration of intra-wound antibiotic powder in pelvic and lower limb trauma surgery. Randomised controlled trials, cohort and case-control studies were included. A meta-analysis was conducted for deep surgical site infections. Seven studies were included in the systematic review including six retrospective case-control studies and one randomised controlled trial. Results of the meta-analysis suggest a potential 23% reduction in the odds of developing a deep surgical site infection in patients treated with intra-operative antibiotic powder compared with those managed with intravenous antibiotics alone (OR 0.77, 95% CI 0.52 – 1.13), although the results did not reach statistical significance. Notable selective bias against intra-wound antibiotics and suboptimal study design were found in the retrospective studies, however the randomised controlled trial reported a significant reduction in deep surgical site infections with intra-wound vancomycin powder. There were no reports of systemic adverse outcomes and minimal risk of wound complications with the use of intra-wound antibiotics. This review suggests the use of intra-wound antibiotic powder in pelvic and lower limb trauma surgery may reduce the incidence of deep surgical site infections. Further powered studies including randomised controlled trials are required to confirm the results highlighted in this study

Aim. infected segmental bone defect (ISBD) is frequent in developing countries. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of the Masquelet technique in the treatment of ISBD in a low-resource setting. Patients and Method. We performed a prospective cohort study during the period from 2018 to 2022. Patients with infected bone defect of long bones were included. Management protocol consisted of two stages in all patients. The first stage consisted in debridement, tissues biopsy for microbiological culture, stabilization with external fixator and defect filling with gentamicin cement spacer. The second stage consisted of reconstruction using a cancellous bone autograft alone, or a mixture of autograft with allograft (demineralized bone matrix + tricalcium phosphate) and 1 gram of vancomycin powder. All patients were followed-up for at least one year. The results were assessed based on both objective (clinical and radiographic evaluation) and subjective (limb function and patient satisfaction) criteria. Main outcomes were bone union, reoperation and failure rates, union time, and limb function. Results. We included 31 patients in this study (80.6% men), with a median age of 35 [9 – 80] years. The tibia was affected in 12 cases and the femur in 15 cases. The median size of bone defect was 4 [1.5 – 12] cm. The most prevalent microorganisms were Klebsiella pneumoniae and Staphylococcus aureus. The mean interval between both stages was 14 (8 – 36) weeks and the median follow-up period after the second stage was 20 [12-62] months. External fixation was used in both stages in 25(80%) cases. Bone union was achieved in 26 (83.8%) patients of whom 24 without recurrence of infection, over a median time of 9 [6 – 16] months. All patients with a mixed graft (allograft and autograft) impregnated with local antibiotics achieved bone union. Two patients needed reoperation for relapse of infection between both stages, and subsequently achieved bone union without recurrence of infection. There were three cases of failure related to persistent infection or insufficient fixation stability in the second stage. Conclusions. Masquelet technique is a reliable procedure that can be safely performed in limited resources settings with satisfactory results. The mixture of autograft and allograft when available, all mixed with vancomycin seems to give promising results

Infection prevention in shoulder arthroplasty is an evolving challenge as further understanding of the pathogens becomes available. Infection rates for reverse TSA is higher than anatomic TSA. Standard decolonization protocols from our hip and knee colleagues has decreased the acute post-operative infection risk to less than 1%. By identifying at risk populations anti-MRSA precautions including intranasal antibiotics and anti-bacterial soaps for pre-surgical skin preparation have reduced the incidence of staphylococcus infections. The emerging understanding of propionibacterium acnes (P. acnes) as a primary pathogen in late shoulder periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) has led to new recommendations including pre-operative skin cleansing with 5% benzoyl peroxide to reduce infection risk. Pre-operative IV antibiotic is recommended and chlorhexidine skin prep for surgery. In the operating room, the concern is the surgeon's exposure to skin and sebaceous glands where P. acnes is prevalent. After skin incision the surgeon should use a new blade for deep incision. Application of vancomycin powder to the subcutaneous tissue may be beneficial after incision to treat potential contamination from the incision through skin. Glove change prior to handling implants and thorough irrigation before implantation is prudent. The role of antibiotic loaded bone cement for infection prevention remains unproven. Topical vancomycin powder at closure is a low cost option and has shown benefit in spine surgery but efficacy is unproven in the shoulder. Silver impregnated wound dressings may also prevent infection and are a convenient option for patient care with regards to bathing. Preventing infections in shoulder arthroplasty, particularly P. acnes, remains a challenge. A significant number of revision TSAs are found to have positive cultures for P. acnes creating a significant burden for patients and surgeons

Introduction. Vancomycin is commonly added to acrylic bone cement during revision arthroplasty surgery. Proprietary cement preparations containing vancomycin are available but significantly more expensive. We investigated whether the antibiotic elution and mechanical strength of ‘home-made’ vancomycin containing bone cement was comparable to commercial vancomycin-impregnated cement. Methods. A total of 18 cement discs of constant size, containing either proprietary CopalG+V. ®. ; or ‘home-made’ CopalR+G. ®. with vancomycin added by hand, were made. Each disc contained the same antibiotic quantities (0.5g gentamycin, 2g vancomycin) and was immersed in ammonium acetate buffer in a sealed container. Fluid from each container was sampled at eight time points over a two week period. The concentration of gentamicin and vancomycin in the fluid was analysed using high performance liquid chromatography mass spectrometry. The impact strength of each PMMA cement preparation was measured using a Charpy-type impact tester. Results. Highest peak antibiotic concentrations were observed from the ‘home-made’ vancomycin containing cement, added as in the operating theatre. Overall antibiotic elution was, five-fold (vancomycin) and two-fold (gentamicin), greater from the ‘home-made’ mix compared to commercially mixed cement. However the ‘home-made’ cements showed greater variation in elution kinetics compared to the commercial mix. Use of a vacuum during mixing had no significant effect on antibiotic elution in any of the samples. Impact strength testing showed no significant differences between the groups. Discussion. Our findings suggest the addition of 2g vancomycin powder to gentamicin-impregnated bone cement in theatre, significantly increases elution of both antibiotics, with no significant loss of strength, compared to commercially prepared cement. Conclusion. We have found no significant advantages of expensive off-the-shelf vancomycin-impregnated bone cement and recommend the addition of vancomycin powder by hand when making cement beads and spacers

Introduction. Periprosthetic infection (PJI) after primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA) remains a challenging issue affecting 1–2% of cases. Locally delivered prophylactic antibiotics, including tobramycin or gentamicin mixed in polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) bone cement and vancomycin powder, are increasingly used despite a lack of high quality evidence for either practice. In this study, we report the antibiotic susceptibility of organisms recovered in culture from patients with acute prosthetic joint infection after primary TKA to gentamicin, tobramycin and vancomycin. Methods. Using a retrospective database of all primary TKA performed at a single institution between January, 1 2014 and July 1, 2018, we identified 18 cases of acute PJI after primary TKA, as defined by the Musculoskeletal Infection Society 2011 guidelines as less than 3 months from symptoms or index surgery to presentation. The use of antibiotic bone cement during the index procedure and time to surgical management of the infection were recorded. Fluid cultures and tissue cultures were obtained intraoperatively at the time of revision. The organisms from positive cultures underwent MIC testing to gentamicin, tobramycin and vancomycin using a gradient diffusion method (ETEST). MIC breakpoints for susceptibility were based on Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute definitions. Results. 18 cases of PJI after TKA were identified, including 4 polymicrobial infections (22.2%) (Table 1). Average time to revision for infection was 38 days (range: 6–84 days). 34.8% of bacterial isolates were resistant to gentamicin, 39.1% were resistant to tobramycin and 17.4% were resistant to vancomycin. Of the 8 bacterial isolates resistant to gentamicin, 7 (87.5%) were susceptible tobramycin. Of the 9 bacterial isolates resistant to tobramycin, (88.9%) were susceptible to vancomycin. One bacterial isolate, a Fusobacterium nucleatum from a polymicrobial infection was resistant to gentamicin, tobramycin and vancomycin. Conclusion. Over one third of bacteria causing acute PJI after primary TKA were resistant to the aminoglycosides pre-mixed in commercially available bone cements. All but one of the bacteria resistant to gentamicin and tobramycin were susceptible to vancomycin. The addition of vancomycin to bone cement or as powder in the surgical field has the potential to expand antibiotic coverage to include most organisms responsible for acute PJI after TKA. For figures, tables, or references, please contact authors directly

Outcomes of THA after Hip Arthroscopy. Hip Injections and Rapidly Progressing Joint Degeneration. Procedure Duration Wound Complications & LOS. Losing Weight Following TKA and its Influence on Outcome. Radiographic Severity of Arthritis & Patient Satisfaction in TKA. Intra-wound Vancomycin Powder Reduces Infections in TJA. Increased Non-stemmed Tibial Failures with BMI ≥ 35. Influence of Component Alignment on Outcome in Varus TKA. New TKA Designs - Do Patients Notice?. Bariatric Surgery Prior to TKA Associated with Fewer Complication. Metal Sensitivity Correlates with Pain in Patients with TJA. Blood Culture Bottles vs. Swabs for Microbial Detection in PJI. I&D Prior to 2 Stage Revision TKA Doesn't Increase Risk of Failure. Outpatient Total Joint Leads to Substantial Burden of Phone Calls. Wear and lysis of HXL Sockets: Effect of Head Size @ 10–14 Years. Surface Finish & Survivorship of Cemented Stems in THA. Patient Reported Outcome as a Tool for Appropriateness in THA. Neuraxial Anesthesia and Post-op Complications and Transfusions

Aim. Infection rates after revision THA vary widely, up to 12%. In countries that use antibiotic-loaded cemented stems in combination with perioperative IV antibiotics, infection rates in registry studies are lower. In many countries, however, cementless revision implants are preferred. Our aim was to apply an antibiotic-loaded calcium sulfate coating to cementless revision stems to reduce periprosthetic joint infection (PJI). This study sought to answer two questions: 1) Does the coating of cementless revision stems with calcium sulfate inhibit osteointegration in THA? 2) Does the antibiotic-loaded calcium sulfate coating of revision stems reduce the incidence of PJI?. Method. From Dec. 2010 to Dec. 2015, 111 consecutive revision femoral stems were coated with commercially pure calcium sulfate. 10cc of calcium sulfate was mixed with 1g of vancomycin powder and 240mg of tobramycin liquid and applied to the stem in a semi-firm liquid state immediately prior to stem insertion. The results are compared to a designated control cohort (N=104) performed across the previous 5 years. The surgical methods were comparable, but for the stem coating. All patients were staged preoperatively using the Musculoskeletal Infection Society Staging System and followed for at least 1 year. Results. In the study group of coated stems, there were 46 A hosts, 56 B hosts, and 9 C hosts. In the control group, there were 45 A hosts, 52 B hosts, and 7 C hosts. Both cohorts had 0 cases of aseptic loosening. The overall rate of PJI in the study cohort was 2.7%. Of the 111 revisions, 69 were aseptic (PJI=1.4%) and 42 were second stage revisions for infection (PJI=4.8%). PJI occurred in 2.2% of A hosts, 1.8% of B hosts, and 11.1% of C hosts. In the control cohort, the overall rate of PJI was 7.7%. Of the 104 revisions, 74 were aseptic (PJI=1.4%) and 30 were second stage revisions for infection (PJI=23.3%). PJI occurred in 6.7% of A hosts, 5.8% of B hosts, and 28.6% of C hosts. The results show a reduction in PJI from 7.7% in the control group to 2.7% in the study group and were found to be statistically significant at p-value<0.1 (p=0.09). Conclusions. The application of antibiotic-loaded calcium sulfate to cementless revision femoral stems does reduce PJI. Importantly, this coating did not inhibit osteointegration of the femoral stem. The reduced infection rate in this study supports the concept that bacteria frequently contaminate and reside within the femoral canal

Introduction: Purified plaster of Paris can be used as a resorbable carrier material for local antibiotic therapy. Clinical use already has been published with vancomycin and the aminoglycosides gentamycin and tobramycin. Calcium sulphate pellets with vancomycin can be manufactured during operation from Osteoset. ®. and vancomycin powder, whereas calcium sulphate with tobramycin is available as ready-to-use pellets under the brand name Osteoset T. ®. Results are promising. However, no data on systemic serum levels in humans have been published so far, despite well known toxicity issues of these antibiotics in systemic therapy. Methods: Following implantation of calcium sulphate with vancomycin or tobramycin, systemic serum levels of these antibiotics have been measured for up to 10 days, and prospectively gathered. Considering serum levels and renal function, pharmacokinetics have been estimated. Results: Between August 2006 and February 2008, calcium sulphate with vancomycin has been implanted in 15 patients, and with tobramycin in 12 patients. Whereas vancomycin levels remained very low, tobramycin levels close to the usually accepted trough levels could be observed at 24h post-operation. Conclusion: Vancomycin added to calcium sulphate has a safe systemic profile. On the contrary, significant serum levels of tobramycin can be measured more than 24h after implantation. Caution is mandatory when using this antibiotic, and explantation should be considered if levels too high are observed

The use of antibiotic-loaded cement has become a well-accepted method to develop high local antibiotic concentrations in orthopedic surgery. A new surgical technique has been established in our department in order to further increase the local antibiotic concentration, when implanting a prosthesis during revision surgery. By additional superficial vancomycin coating of the bone cement, high local antibiotic concentrations are generated. They should reach inhibiting and bactericidal concentrations of the respective pathogen during the first days after surgery. The aim of this study was to state the safety of this method by analyzing postoperative serum and drain vancomycin concentrations. Attention was focused on possible systemic side effects. To determine nephrotoxicity, creatinine levels were also measured. In total 32 revision operations (hip n=10, knee n=22) with additional superficial vancomycin coating were performed between 05/2013 and 04/2015. Procedures with removal of the prosthesis following temporary spacer implantation were excluded. In nine cases a one-stage procedure was performed, while in the others an arthroplasty or arthrodesis was performed after temporary spacer explantation. Vancomycin powder (2 grams) was added superficially to the surface of the bone cement and pressed onto manually before curing. Postoperative Vancomycin levels were measured in serum and the drain on day 1 to 5 or until the drain has been removed. In total 90 blood serum samples and 100 drain fluid samples were obtained. The highest median vancomycin level from the drain was documented on postoperative day 1 with a value of 555.3 μg/mL (range 66.1 – 1081.8), continually decreasing until postoperative day 4. The highest value was documented on the second postoperative day with 2170.0 μg/mL. On the first postoperative day, a median serum vancomycin level of 3.35 μg/mL was present (range <2.0 – 8.5), while from postoperative day 2 to 5 a median level less than 2.0 μg/mL (range <2.0 – 7.2) was documented. Anaphylactic reaction, red man syndrome or fever and chills were not observed after the surgical procedure. Furthermore, no subjective hearing loss was reported. Only in one case, a creatinine increase of 0.5 mg/dL from baseline value was detected. In this case the patient suffered preoperatively from a chronic kidney insufficiency. In total two reinfections occurred, one after explanting a spacer with subsequent hip total endoprosthesis, the other one after a one-stage hip revision. Superficial Vancomycin Coating of bone cement in orthopedic revision surgery represents a safe method to increase local inhibiting vancomycin concentrations

In two-stage revision surgery of infected joint prosthesis, temporary bone cement spacers have been used for several years. By adding antibiotics to the cement, high local antibiotic concentrations that exceed the minimum inhibiting and bactericidal concentration of the respective pathogen during the first days after surgery, are achieved. Currently, aminoglycosides (e.g. gentamicin and tobramycin), as well as glycopetides (e.g vancomycin) are used as antibiotic agents and mixed into the acrylic cement. In order to increase the quantity of active antibiotic substances, we established a novel surgical technique of additional superficial vancomycin coating (SVC) of temporary bone cement spacer. The aim of this study was to analyze the safety of this method by measuring postoperative joint and serum vancomycin concentrations, as well as the creatinine levels. We reviewed prospectively collected data on all patients, which were treated by explanting the prosthetic components, following temporary spacer implantation and SVC between 05/2013 and 04/2015 at the Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Medical University of Graz. In total 13 patients were treated by addition SVC during the study period. Before hardening, vancomycin powder (2 grams) was pressed manually onto the surface of the bone cement. Vancomycin levels were obtained from drains and blood samples on postoperative days 1 to 5. Forty-six blood serum samples and 52 drain fluid samples were available for further. On postoperative day one to five, a median serum vancomycin level of < 2.0 μg/mL was present (range <2.0 – 3.9). The highest median vancomycin level from the drain was documented on postoperative day 1 with a value of 388.0 μg/mL (range 44.4–1650.0), continually decreasing until postoperative day 4. After SVC, neither an anaphylactic reaction nor side effects such as a red man syndrome, fever and chills were observed. Furthermore, no patient complained about subjective hearing loss. No serum creatinine increase of 0.5 mg/dL from creatinine baseline value or a ≥50% increase from baseline was detected. After a median of 64 days (range 18–82), the temporary cement spacer was explanted followed by prosthesis implantation. During this time no reinfection occurred. One patient suffered from a dislocation of the spacer with a distal femur fracture and was therefore re-operated after 18 days. Powdered vancomycin as an additional superficial coating of bone cement spacer results in much higher local antibiotic concentrations than in conventional spacers. The newly introduced method is feasible, safe and promising to enhance local inhibiting concentrations of vancomycin