ArticleInternational orthopaedics2024
Plastic waste in major orthopaedic surgical procedures: descriptive and sources of improvement.
Article in International orthopaedics, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled 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.
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.
Who cites it
5 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Quantifying the environmental footprint of primary hip and knee arthroplasty: a systematic review and pooled-analysis of waste generation and carbon emissions.International orthopaedics · 2026Pooled it
- Sustainable Healthcare: A Perspective on the Current Landscape, Frameworks, Barriers, and Implementation Model in a Quaternary Hospital System.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2026Review
- A comparative analysis of the carbon footprint in minimally invasive colorectal surgery: laparoscopic versus robotic-the coloprint pilot study.Journal of robotic surgery · 2025Observational
- Green Surgery and Sustainability in Orthopaedic Operating Rooms: A Comprehensive Review of Environmental Initiatives.Cureus · 2025Review
- An Innovative Strategy for Sustainability Assurance in Orthopedic Surgery.Medical sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
purposeThe healthcare industry is a significant contributor to single-use plastic waste, particularly in the operating room (OR). This study aims to assess the volume of plastic waste generated during total hip, knee, and shoulder arthroplasty in the OR and identify areas for improvement.
methodA prospective transversal study at a tertiary hospital was conducted. All total knee arthroplasty (TKA), total hip arthroplasty (THA), and reverse shoulder arthroplasty (RSA) from April to July 2021 were included. The weight of plastic used during patient preparation, anaesthesia, and the surgical procedure was recorded. To calculate the environmental impact, a calculator generated by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) was used.
resultsA total of 68 surgeries were included. The mean weight of plastic used in total was 7.3 kg (SD 0.48), with the highest yielding procedure being TKA. It generated a mean of 7.63 kg (SD 0.28), followed by THA at 7.28 kg (SD 0.43), and RSA at 6.87 kg (SD 0.47). Various scenarios were simulated to evaluate the potential impact of reducing plastic waste. Substituting plastic wrapping with recyclable materials could save 159.6 kg of CO
conclusionThe findings highlight the need for environmentally sustainable practices in the OR. In this way, the healthcare sector can contribute to a cleaner and greener world without compromising patient safety.
Indexed as
Identifiers
38528253What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
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.