Evidence map›Paper›PMID 30984497›Full record

ArticleGlobal spine journal2019

Harboring Contaminants in Repeatedly Reprocessed Pedicle Screws.

Aakash Agarwal, Christian Schultz, Anand K Agarwal, Jeffrey C Wang, Steve R Garfin, Neel Anand

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Global spine journal, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
9citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
2.1field-weighted citation impact, top 13% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

9 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 22 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. The reuse of orthopaedic devices in trauma care.OTA international : the open access journal of orthopaedic trauma · 2025
    Review
  4. Individualization of implantable devices in Brazil.Revista brasileira de enfermagem · 2025
    Article
  5. A prospective study to identify preoperative serum parameters for spinal implant infection detected by sonication fluid culture.European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society · 2023
    Article
  6. Article
  7. Future directions of postoperative spinal implant infections.Journal of spine surgery (Hong Kong) · 2020
    Review
  8. Article
  9. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.

Aakash AgarwalUniversity of Toledo, Toledo, OH, USA.
Christian SchultzApex Spine, Munich, Germany.
Anand K AgarwalUniversity of Toledo, Toledo, OH, USA.
Jeffrey C WangUSC Spine Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Steve R GarfinUniversity of California, San Diego, CA, USA.
Neel AnandCedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles CA, USA.
University of Toledo · USCedars-Sinai Medical Center · USUniversity of California San Diego · USLAC+USC Medical Center · US

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

STUDY

designIt consisted of evaluation of the pedicle screws for presence of residual nonmicrobial contaminants and tabulation of the minimum steps and time required for reprocessing implants as per guidelines and its comparison with actual practice.

objectiveAn evaluation of the nonmicrobial contaminants prevalent on the pedicle screws used for spine surgery and the underlying practice cause behind the source.

methodsThe first component consisted of a random selection of 6 pedicle screws and its assessment using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectroscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The second component consisted of review of implant reprocessing guidelines and its applicability.

resultsThree types of contaminants were identified: corrosion, saccharide of unknown origin, and soap residue mixed with and were mostly present at the interfaces with low permeability. In addition, manufacturer's guideline recommends 19 hours of reprocessing, whereas the real-time observation revealed a turnaround time of 1 hour 17 minutes.

conclusionRepeatedly reprocessed pedicle screws host corrosion, carbohydrate, fat, and soap, which could be a cause of surgical site infection and inflammatory responses postsurgery. The cause behind it is the impracticality of repeated cleaning and inspection of such devices.

Indexed as

implant exposurepreoperative implant handlingSPDSSIsterile processing departmentsurgical site infectionterminally sterile devices

Identifiers

PMID30984497
PMCPMC6448207
OpenAlexW2810917951

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.