2015 AAOS Annual Meeting: Low dose tobramycin bone cement in total knee arthroplasty: an in vivo elution analysis and comparison

15 patients scheduled for primary total knee arthroplasty were randomized to either tobramycin-laden bone cement or intravenous administration of tobramycin. The purpose of this study was to measure intra-articular and serum concentrations of tobramycin associated with either administration method. Tobramycin concentrations were measured at 6, 24, and 48 hours after surgery. Administration through tobramycin-laden bone cement was associated with effective concentration levels in intra-articular samples (>2.0ug/mL) at all time points, while maintaining low levels in serum samples (0.28-0.29ug/mL). Additional randomized controlled trials should be conducted to determine if tobramycin bone cement is associated with a lower incidence of deep infection.