Similar infection rates in a new wound closure method following knee arthroplasty

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic Surgery
• Wound Management
• Infectious Disease

Background:

• Surgical site infections (SSIs) are a significant complication following orthopedic procedures.
• Traditional wound closure methods like staples require follow-up visits for removal and assessment.
• Minimally invasive closure techniques are being explored to improve patient outcomes and reduce healthcare costs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the incidence of surgical site infections between a novel zipper-like closure method (ZM) and traditional staples.
• To evaluate the overall wound complication rates associated with each closure method.
• To assess the potential benefits of ZM in reducing post-operative clinic visits.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective comparative study of 682 patients (904 knees) using ZM and 772 patients (971 knees) using staples.
• Data collected on deep and superficial surgical site infections within 90 days post-surgery.
• Analysis of wound complications and post-operative follow-up requirements.

Main Results:

• The incidence of deep SSIs was 0.2% for ZM versus 0.6% for staples (p=0.169).
• The incidence of superficial SSIs was 0.0% for ZM versus 0.1% for staples (p=0.518).
• No significant difference in overall wound complication rates was observed between the two methods.

Conclusions:

• The zipper-like closure method (ZM) demonstrates non-inferiority to staples in preventing surgical site infections after knee surgery.
• ZM eliminates the need for a two-week post-operative clinic visit for staple removal and wound checks.
• Adoption of ZM could lead to decreased clinic volume and associated healthcare resource utilization.