OT -- We all know that periprosthetic infection is catastrophic. But, if you look at the current literature, you will see that the incidence is not that high — somewhere between 0.2% and 0.3%. At our hospital it is 0.1% for total hip replacement surgery. The significant reduction in the infection rate is due to many variables, including the speed of surgery, laminar enclosures, body exhaust systems, and the use of perioperative antibiotics. Systems such as these are very important in generally reducing infection rates without the use of antibiotics in cement.
