ArticleActa orthopaedica et traumatologica turcica2021
Efficacy of prophylactic application of vancomycin powder in preventing surgical site infections after instrumented spinal surgery: A retrospective analysis of patients with high-risk conditions.
Article in Acta orthopaedica et traumatologica turcica, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
10 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 16 citations in OpenAlex.
- A meta-analysis of the efficacy of topical antibiotics in spinal surgery for the prevention of surgical site infection.Medicine · 2025Pooled it
- A meta-analysis examining the impact of intrawound treatment on reducing deep surgical site infections during instrumented spine surgery.International wound journal · 2024Pooled it
- Intrawound vancomycin powder in orthopaedic surgery as surgical site wound infection prophylaxis: A meta-analysis.International wound journal · 2023Pooled it
- Risk factors for surgical site infections after spinal surgery: a systematic review and meta-analysis.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 · 2026Review
- Intrawound vancomycin powder in orthopaedic surgery after the VPIP trial: a critical reappraisal of efficacy, dosing, application plane, and antimicrobial stewardship.Journal of bone and joint infection · 2026Review
- The Role of Intrawound Vancomycin Powder in Reducing Surgical Site Infections in Orthopedic Surgery: A Comprehensive Narrative Review of Its Efficacy, Safety, and Applications.Indian journal of orthopaedics · 2025Review
- Review
- Local vancomycin administration in Orthopaedic Surgery - A systematic review of comparative studies.Journal of orthopaedics · 2024Review
- Intraoperative vancomycin powder to reduce surgical site infections after posterior spine surgery: a systematic review and meta-analysis.EFORT open reviews · 2022Review
- Prophylactic Topical Antibiotics in Fracture Repair and Spinal Fusion.Advances in orthopedics · 2021Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveThis study aimed to determine the efficacy of prophylactic use of vancomycin powder against surgical site infections in patients with high-risk conditions who underwent posterior spinal instrumentation.
methodsData obtained from 209 patients who underwent posterior spinal instrumentation at a single institution from 2014 to 2017 were retrospectively reviewed. Patients were then divided into two groups: control group, including 107 patients (61 females, 46 males; mean age=54 years; age range=16-85 years), and treatment group, including 102 patients (63 females, 39 males; mean age=53 years; age range=14-90 years). All patients received the same standard prophylactic antibiotic regimen. In addition to the prophylactic antibiotic, vancomycin powder was applied locally to the surgical site in the treatment group. All patients were followed up for at least 90 days postoperatively. Infections were categorized as superficial and deep infections. Subgroup analysis of high-risk patients (Syrian refugees) was also performed.
resultsThe infection rates were 1.96% (two patients) in the treatment group and 6.54% (seven patients) in the control group. A significant decrease in the infection rates was observed with local vancomycin powder application. Advanced age (>46 years) and prolonged surgical duration (>140 min) were found to be the main risk factors for surgical site infections (p=0.004 and p=0.028, respectively). The infection rates were 3.22% and 8.11% in the treatment and control groups of refugees, respectively. There were three superficial and four deep infections in the control group and one superficial and one deep infection in the treatment group. A dominance of staphylococcus infections was observed in the control group, whereas no significant dominance was observed in the treatment group. Three patients in the control group and one patient in the treatment group received implant removal.
conclusionEvidence from this study has revealed that local application of vancomycin powder reduces the rate of surgical site infections after instrumented spinal surgery. The benefit of vancomycin application may be most appreciated in higher risk populations or in clinics with high baseline rates of infection. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III, Therapeutic Study.
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