The Efficacy of Ultraviolet Radiation in Decontaminating Dropped Bone Fragments in Orthopedic Surgery

The dropping of bone after harvesting for grafting compromises sterility. Often, washing the bone with an antiseptic solution, harvesting a new autograft, or using an allograft is the only options. This study aims to determine the effectiveness of ultraviolet (UV) radiation in restoring the sterility of contaminated bone fragments and compare it to other commonly used methods for decontamination.

The excised bone was divided into five equal parts. One part was sent for culture without any treatment in a sterile environment. The other four parts were dropped sequentially on the theater floor, retrieved in a sterile manner, treated with either normal saline (NS), 5% povidone betadine solution (PBS), or a UV chamber, and sent for Gram stain and culture to assess growth.

It was observed that 23.6% (n = 9) of the samples dropped on the floor and, when cultured without treatment, showed Coagulase-negative Staphylococci (11.1%, n = 4) and aerobic spore bearers (13.8%, n = 5). After treatment with UV, 84.2% (n = 32) of the samples did not show any growth, and 86.8% (n = 33) of the samples did not show growth with PBS. There was a significant difference in growth between samples treated with NS and those treated with PBS or in the UV chamber. PBS solution was superior in the decontamination of bone.

Treatment in a UV chamber for five minutes was effective in restoring sterility to bone fragments dropped on the floor, but its effects on viability are not known. Future studies are needed to explore the role of UV radiation in the decontamination of bone and its maintenance of vitality.