Postoperative septic arthritis after elective equine arthroscopy without antimicrobial prophylaxis

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Surgery
• Equine Orthopedics
• Surgical Site Infections

Background:

• Elective arthroscopy is a common procedure in equine surgery.
• The use of prophylactic antimicrobial therapy in equine arthroscopy is debated.
• Assessing infection rates is crucial for surgical outcome evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the frequency of postoperative septic arthritis after elective equine arthroscopy.
• To evaluate the complication rate in 444 consecutive equine arthroscopies performed without prophylactic antimicrobial therapy.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective case series design was used.
• Medical records of 444 horses undergoing elective equine arthroscopy between 2008 and 2010 were reviewed.
• Exclusion criteria included horses with pre-existing septic arthritis or those undergoing tenoscopy, bursoscopy, or arthroscopic fracture fixation.

Main Results:

• A total of 636 joints were explored in 444 horses.
• Nineteen horses experienced 20 complications, including 3 cases of septic arthritis.
• The incidence of septic arthritis was 0.5% per joint and 0.7% per horse. All horses survived and returned to function.

Conclusions:

• Equine arthroscopy performed without antimicrobial prophylaxis demonstrated a low joint infection rate.
• The observed sepsis rate compares favorably with studies that included antimicrobial administration.
• This suggests that elective equine arthroscopy can be performed safely without prophylactic antibiotics.