No decreased infection rate when using antibiotic-impregnated cement in primary total joint arthroplasty

There has been much debate and controversy about the routine use of antibiotic-impregnated bone cement in primary total joint arthroplasty. The purpose of this study was to undertake a meta-analysis to determine whether the use of antibiotic-impregnated bone cement would reduce the incidence of infection after primary total joint arthroplasty. Of 313 citations identified for screening, 6 trials reporting 26,791 patients were eligible for data extraction and meta-analysis. The authors found no statistically significant difference between antibiotic-impregnated bone cement and plain bone cement in terms of the incidence of infection. The results indicated that the use of antibiotic-impregnated bone cement in primary total joint arthroplasty did not lead to a decrease in the rate of infection.