Surgeon practice patterns for pre-soaking ACL tendon grafts in vancomycin: a survey of the ACL study group.

PURPOSE: To survey members of The ACL study group to determine the current practice patterns surrounding the technique of pre-soaking ACL grafts in vancomycin.

METHODS

A web-based questionnaire was distributed to members of the ACL Study Group. Questions included the use of vancomycin solution for graft soaking during ACL reconstruction, their protocol for soaking the graft, vancomycin concentration utilized, graft choices, and concerns with the technique.

RESULTS

Sixty-six (57%) ACL surgeons completed the survey. Approximately one-third (37.9%) of respondents currently pre-soak their ACL grafts in vancomycin prior to implantation, with 60% of these surgeons being from Europe. Seventy-six percent have adopted this practice within the past 5 years. The majority of surgeons wrap the graft in a vancomycin-soaked gauze prior to implantation (56%), soak for a variable amount of time before implantation (56%), use a concentration of 5 mg/mL (68%), and soak hamstring grafts (92%). Concerns included the mechanical properties of the graft (35%), cost of vancomycin (23%), availability (12%), and antibiotic resistance (9%).

CONCLUSION

This survey demonstrates that 37.9% of ACL study group members currently utilize vancomycin to pre-soak ACL tendon grafts as a means to decrease post-operative infection risk, with the majority of surgeons having implemented this practice within the past 5 years. The biggest concern towards using vancomycin was the mechanical properties of the graft after soaking.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: IV.