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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 15, 2026

In Vivo Mouse Model of Spinal Implant Infection
08:03

In Vivo Mouse Model of Spinal Implant Infection

Published on: June 23, 2020

Implant contamination during spine surgery.

Jesse E Bible1, Kevin R O'Neill, Colin G Crosby

  • 1Department of Orthopaedics, Vanderbilt Orthopaedic Institute, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Medical Center East, South Tower, Suite 4200, Nashville, TN 37232-8774, USA. jesse.bible@vanderbilt.edu

The Spine Journal : Official Journal of the North American Spine Society
|January 17, 2013
PubMed
Summary

Covering spinal implants during surgery significantly reduces contamination rates. This simple practice helps minimize intraoperative wound contamination and may lower the risk of postoperative infections in spine surgery patients.

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Area of Science:

  • Orthopedic Surgery
  • Infectious Disease Prevention
  • Surgical Safety

Background:

  • Postoperative spine infections occur in 1-15% of patients, increasing morbidity and costs, especially in instrumented cases.
  • Minimizing intraoperative wound contamination is crucial, yet many current practices lack evidence.
  • Sterile objects like implant trays can be overlooked as contamination sources.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To quantify spinal implant contamination during surgery.
  • To evaluate if covering implants affects contamination rates.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective study of 105 spine surgeries requiring instrumentation.
  • Randomized comparison of uncovered (n=54) vs. covered (n=51) implant trays.
  • Bacterial cultures from implants, positive controls (tray wraps), and negative controls.

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Last Updated: May 15, 2026

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Main Results:

  • Overall implant contamination rate was 9.5%.
  • Covered implants showed 2.0% contamination versus 16.7% for uncovered implants (p=.016).
  • Contamination was independent of tray open time, implant type, or personnel number.

Conclusions:

  • Spinal implants are susceptible to contamination during surgery.
  • Covering implants significantly reduces contamination, regardless of case duration.
  • Implant coverage is a simple, effective method to reduce infection risk.