High-pressure saline washing of allografts reduces bacterial contamination

60 fresh-frozen bone allografts were contaminated on the operating room floor, No bacterial growth was detected in 5 of them after contamination. The remaining 55 grafts had positive bacterial cultures and mere processed with three methods: soaking in saline, soaking in antibiotic solution or washing by high-pressure saline. After high-pressure lavage, the cultures mere negative in three fourths of the contaminated allografts. The corresponding figures after soaking grafts in saline and antibiotic solution mere one tenth and two tenths, respectively. High-pressure saline cleansing of allografts can be recommended because it improves safety by reducing the superficial bacterial bioburden.