The rate of deep infection following primary joint replacement has reduced to below 1%, but the cost remains high. The surgical team is the most important source of bacteria causing infection. All surgical gowns are susceptible to penetration by these organisms, which may then spread to the wound via the surgeon’s hands or contact with wet drapes without ever being airborne. There is insufficient clinical data on the penetration of bacteria through surgical gowns, in part due to the difficulty of There was a significant difference between the two gown types when tested in the axilla (p <
0. 05), the groin (p <
0. 05) and the peri-anal region (p <
0. 01), with the disposable gowns performing to a higher standard. Re-usable gowns demonstrated significant variation in penetrability. This is most likely to be due to the number of laundering and sterilisation cycles that they had undergone. Unless the continued satisfactory performance of multiple-use gowns can be guaranteed, they may be unsuitable for use in orthopaedic implant surgery.