Latest research on surgical site infection

9 papers · updated 2026-09-26 · General Orthopaedics · All topics

The newest papers on surgical site infection from the orthopaedic journals The Reduction reads, newest first, each with a one-line summary. The list is drawn from the digest’s archive and refreshed every week.

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Recent papers

  1. Temporal Trends in Surgical Site Infections After Hip and Knee Arthroplasty in California, 2015 to 2024.

    Journal of Arthroplasty · Sep 21 2026 · PubMed

    A decade-long California statewide analysis found stable, low surgical site infection rates after THA/TKA with no association between hospital volume, policy changes, or the COVID-19 pandemic.

  2. Multifaceted infection prevention protocol is associated with reduced surgical site infection after spinal fusion: a before-and-after study.

    The Spine Journal · Sep 12 2026 · PubMed

    A bundled infection-prevention protocol (nasal decolonization, chlorhexidine bathing, glycemic control, aseptic reinforcement) cut surgical site infections after spinal fusion from 2.9% to 0.4%.

  3. Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and surgical procedure on surgical site infection in adult spinal deformity surgery - a longitudinal trends study.

    European Spine Journal · Aug 12 2026 · PubMed

    Over 13 years of adult spinal deformity surgery, surgical site infection rates declined after adopting LLIF and vancomycin powder and were lowest during COVID-19, though causation remains uncertain given concurrent practice changes.

  4. Strategies to prevent post-operative surgical site infection in spinal surgery: a narrative review.

    European Spine Journal · Jul 2026 · Review · PubMed

    Narrative review outlines multimodal strategies to prevent spinal surgical site infections; prolonged postoperative antibiotics beyond 24 hours add no benefit.

  5. Hand and Upper Extremity Surgical Site Infection Rates Associated With Perioperative Corticosteroid Injection: A Review of the Literature.

    HAND · Jun 2024 · Review · PubMed

    Literature review shows perioperative corticosteroid injections raise infection risk in upper extremity surgery, supporting spacing injections more than 3 months before and 1 month after surgery.

  6. Best Practice Guidelines for Surgical Site Infection in High-risk Pediatric Spine Surgery: Definition, Prevention, Diagnosis, and Treatment.

    Journal of Pediatric Orthopaedics · 2022 Nov-Dec 01 · Review · PubMed

    A Delphi-based expert panel establishes consensus best-practice guidelines defining high-risk patients and standardizing prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of surgical site infection in pediatric spine surgery.

  7. Improve Integration of In Vitro Biofilm Body of Knowledge to Support Clinical Breakthroughs in Surgical Site Infection.

    JAAOS Global Research & Reviews · Nov 04 2021 · Review · PubMed

    This review argues orthopaedic infection research underutilizes biofilm science, calling for better in vivo models that reflect clinically realistic biofilm maturation to improve prosthetic joint infection treatment strategies.

  8. Treatment Algorithm for Surgical Site Infections Following Extensor Mechanism Repair.

    JBJS Reviews · Dec 18 2020 · Review · PubMed

    This review proposes a stepwise algorithm for managing surgical site infections after extensor mechanism repair, escalating from outpatient care for mild cellulitis to debridement, suture exchange, and flap coverage for refractory deep infections.

  9. Management of Surgical Site Infections.

    Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons · Mar 15 2020 · Review · PubMed

    This AAOS Appropriate Use Criteria document provides evidence- and expert-based guidance rating the appropriateness of various treatments across 264 clinical scenarios for managing orthopaedic surgical site infections.

Landmark papers

  1. Risk Factors Associated with Deep Surgical Site Infections After Primary Total Knee Arthroplasty

    Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (American) · 2013 · cited 583 times · PubMed

    In over 56,000 primary TKAs, obesity, diabetes, male sex, higher ASA score, osteonecrosis, and quadriceps-release exposure increased deep infection risk, while antibiotic irrigation and bilateral procedures were protective.

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