Contaminated Rabbit Patellar Tendon Grafts

Abstract

In Part 1 of our study, 40 central-third bone-patellar tendon-bone grafts were harvested from 20 adult Cali fornia White rabbits under strict sterile conditions. Ten grafts were placed directly into a thioglycolate broth, incubated, and subcultured; no growth was noted in any specimen. The next 6 grafts were contaminated 20 sec onds each with 2 different species of coagulase negative staphylococci. Organisms were grown with cultures obtained from an operating room floor during anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. Marked growth of both species was noted in all 6 grafts within 24 hours. A subsequent 3 series of 8 grafts each were harvested sterilely, contaminated as described above, and soaked in 1 of 3 solutions 30 minutes before culture. Both 10% povidone-iodine and a triple-antibiotic solu tion (gentamicin, clindamycin, polymyxin) were 100% ineffective as both organisms grew; 4% chlorhexidine gluconate effectively decontaminated 8 grafts in all cases. Part 2 involved contamination of harvested grafts with 5 common, virulent organisms: Staphylococ cus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aerugi nosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Enterococcus fae calis. Elimination of all except Klebsiella pneumoniae was successful with 4% chlorhexidine gluconate alone for 8 grafts. Using a triple-antibiotic solution after chlor hexidine gluconate in 6 grafts eliminated this organism also.