High-pressure saline washing of allografts reduces bacterial contamination.

60 fresh-frozen bone allografts were contaminated on the operating room floor. No bacterial growth was detected in 5 of them after contamination. The remaining 55 grafts had positive bacterial cultures and were processed with three methods: soaking in saline, soaking in antibiotic solution or washing by high-pressure saline. After high-pressure lavage, the cultures were negative in three fourths of the contaminated allografts. The corresponding figures after soaking grafts in saline and antibiotic solution were one tenth and two tenths, respectively. High-pressure saline cleansing of allografts can be recommended because it improves safety by reducing the superficial bacterial bioburden.