Prophylactic postoperative measures to minimize surgical site infections in spine surgery: systematic review and evidence summary.

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Abstract

[Indexed for MEDLINE] 12. Infect Dis Clin North Am. 2025 Sep;39(3):383-398. doi: 10.1016/j.idc.2025.02.016. Epub 2025 Apr 4. Preventing Orthopedic Infections. Ritter AS(1), Mears S(2). Author information: (1)Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Medicine, University of Florida, 2000 Southwest Archer Road, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA. Electronic address: Alaina.Ritter@medicine.ufl.edu. (2)Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Sports Medicine, University of Florida, 3450 Hull Road, Gainesville, FL, 32607, USA. The prevention of orthopedic infections is of critical importance to improve patient outcomes and reduce health care costs. Preventative strategies can be employed preoperatively, including mitigation of medical risk factors, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus decolonization, appropriate skin preparation, and optimizing perioperative antimicrobial prophylaxis; intraoperatively, including utilizing irrigation, topical antibiotics, infection control measures, and timely debridement/optimal surgical techniques; and postoperatively, including consideration of antibiotic duration after primary arthroplasty and reimplantation. This article provides an evidence-based discussion of these strategies while also highlighting areas where ongoing research may be beneficial. Copyright © 2025 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. DOI: 10.1016/j.idc.2025.02.016