An outbreak of septic arthritis after arthroscopic reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament

Aim: Acute septic arthritis after arthroscopic posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) reconstruction is uncommon but is a very critical complication. Properly sterilized surgical instruments are the most important step in preventing infection. After arthroscopic anterior cruciate ligament surgery, a cluster of 6 jointbursa infection cases was seen in our unit. The aim of this study was to determine the socio-demographic and clinical practices that may be associated with the development of infection in the surgical site after arthroscopic cruciate ligament surgery. Material and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of SSIs developing after arthroscopic anterior cruciate ligament surgery in 2018 in a University Hospital. Environmental and surgical equipment samples were taken. ATP bioluminescence test was performed on these samples. When a high-risk status was detected, surveillance cultures were performed. Results: A total of 15 procedures meeting the inclusion and exclusion criteria were evaluated. Six patients were considered to have infections, while 9 were infection-free. An examination of the surgery lists showed that 6 of the 7 patients with infection represented the first arthroscopic procedure of the day. An inquiry regarding personnel of the surgery room showed that a newly appointed nurse made a modification in the decontamination procedure of the surgical equipment. Discussion: Incomplete sterilization of surgical equipment and environmental contamination can lead to serious infection.