Infographic: Triclosan-coated sutures and surgical site infections after hip and knee arthroplasty

Hip and knee arthritis is successfully treated with total hip (THA) and total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Over 209 000 hip and knee arthroplasties were performed in 2017.¹ Surgical site infections (SSI) account for 1% to 2% of complications following hip and knee arthroplasty surgery.^2–4 SSIs cause a significant economic impact on the healthcare service, with conservative estimates suggesting an annual cost of £61 million per year in the United Kingdom.⁵ Measures have been put in place to reduce the incidence of SSIs.^4,6–8 One particular measure is the use of triclosan-coated sutures. Triclosan is an antibacterial agent shown to be effective against staphylococci-like organisms – a common pathogen for SSIs in this patient group.⁹ Previous studies have demonstrated a reduction in the rate of SSI following the use of triclosan coated sutures in other surgical procedures.¹⁰ We performed a double-blind multicentre randomised controlled trial comparing triclosan-coated sutures with standard sutures.¹¹ In this study; the largest comparing the effectiveness of triclosan coated sutures and the first in elective orthopaedic practice; we found that triclosan-coated sutures did not significantly reduce the rate of SSIs after elective hip and knee arthroplasty.