Joint sepsis after arthroscopy has been reported to
occur at a rate of 0.01% to as high as 3.4%.
Prophylactic preoperative intravenous antibiotics routinely
continue to be used for arthroscopy of the knee
despite any documented clinical or scientific evidence
that the usage of antibiotics reduces infection rates
after arthroscopic surgery. A recent series of patients
not receiving antibiotics suggests that they may not be
indicated for routine use; however, a review of the
literature does not cite any studies comparing infection
rates of patient cohorts with and without preoperative
intravenous antibiotic prophylaxis. The most
commonly stated reason for usage of prophylactic
antibiotics in arthroscopic surgery appears to be fear
of litigation because of deviation from accepted community
standards of care. This study retrospectively
compares the incidence of knee joint sepsis after routine
arthroscopic surgery of the knee with and without