Propionibacterium acnes Suture Contamination in Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair: A Prospective Randomized Study

Abstract

To examine the contamination rate of the anchor-suture and to determine the efficacy of 2 different surgical skin preparation solutions with or without a plastic adhesive drape from suture contamination in arthroscopic rotator cuff repair. A prospective randomized study was undertaken to evaluate 126 consecutive patients undergoing arthroscopic rotator cuff repair. Each shoulder was prepared with one of 2 randomly selected solutions according to an assigned envelope that indicated the procedure to be used: chlorhexidine-alcohol (1% chlorhexidine gluconate and 70% isopropyl alcohol) or povidone-iodine. Then, each group was further divided according to the usage of a plastic drape. The first cut-tails of the anchor-suture after cuff fixation were submitted to aerobic and anaerobic cultures. The overall rate of Propionibacterium acnes-positive cultures was 47% (14 of 31 cases) in the povidone-iodine group, 33% (11 of 33 cases) in the povidone-iodine with a drape group, 33% (10 of 30 cases) in the chlorhexidine-alcohol group, and 9.3% (3 of 32 cases) in the chlorhexidine-alcohol with a drape group. The positive culture rate in the chlorhexidine-alcohol with a drape group was lower than that in the povidone-iodine group (relative risk, 0.2; 95% confidence interval: 0.064-0.63; number needed to treat, 2.7; P < .0001). Coagulase-negative staphylococci were isolated in the povidone-iodine with a drape (1 case) and chlorhexidine-alcohol with a drape group (2 cases). No other bacteria were isolated, and no infections occurred in any of the patients treated in this study during the minimum 12-month follow-up period. Chlorhexidine-alcohol solution with an adhesive plastic drape was more effective than chlorhexidine-alcohol without a plastic drape and povidone-iodine with/without a plastic drape in eliminating P acnes suture contamination. However, the usage of a plastic drape slightly increased the risk of coagulase-negative Staphylococcus proliferation. Level I, therapeutic, prospective, randomized trial.