El Local use of vancomycin in autologous graft for reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament.: Does it reduce the rate of septic arthritis? Comparison in two groups: local use of prophylaxis with vancomycin vs. Without use.

Abstract

Introduction: the aim of the study is to evaluate and retrospectively compare the rate of postoperative septic arthritis (SA) in ACL reconstruction, between two study groups: A without local use of vancomycin in autologous hamstring graft versus group B with local antibiotic prophylaxis

Materials and methods: two groups composed of 683 patients in total, with a primary diagnosis of ACL rupture, were studied. Group A, operated on in 2016 and 2017, in which antibiotic prophylaxis of the autograft was not used; and the second group B, between 2018 and 2019, where the hamstring autograft was submerged in 500 mg of vancomycin in 100 ml of physiological solution as local prophylaxis. Preoperative intravenous antibiotic prophylaxis was carried out in both groups as the usual protocol.

Results: it was obtained as a result that in group A, the two years that they worked without “pre-soaking” of antibiotics in the autograft and the relationship between the presence of infection and the different variables studied was analyzed, where they found that the use Local vancomycin in the autologous hamstring graft is associated with a minor infection (p <0.05). However, age, sex and the sanatorium where the surgery is performed do not necessarily determine the presence of infection (p >0.05)

Conclusion: we present this work as proof in our environment of the clear benefit that we obtained, since the patients who underwent local prophylaxis of vancomycin of the autograft, showed a notable decrease in septic arthritis.