2021 Annual Meeting Knee Access Pass-Oh S&*t: The Graft’s on the Floor

Video Transcription

Video Summary

The speaker discusses managing dropped ACL autografts during surgery, sharing personal experience with three incidents. Key points include immediate disclosure to the patient’s family, obtaining cultures, and decontaminating the graft via serial antibiotic rinses (preferably vancomycin and polymyxin) rather than sterilization that damages graft cells. Postoperative care involves infectious disease consultation, broad-spectrum antibiotics, close monitoring for subtle infection signs, and slower rehabilitation due to delayed graft healing. If infection occurs, early graft removal is advised rather than retention. The speaker emphasizes prevention by always supporting the graft during transfer to avoid drops, highlighting the importance of experience from complications in surgical judgment.

Asset Caption

Dr. Christopher Harner

Keywords

ACL autograft management

graft contamination

antibiotic rinses

postoperative infection care

surgical complication prevention