Silver-impregnated occlusive dressing is associated with a lower rate of acute surgical site infection after direct anterior total hip arthroplasty - Summary - MDSpire

Silver-impregnated occlusive dressing is associated with a lower rate of acute surgical site infection after direct anterior total hip arthroplasty

  • By

  • Yi-Yen Tsai

  • Pei-Hung Shen

  • Chia-Chun Wu

  • Ru-Yu Pan

  • Leou-Chyr Lin

  • Sheng-Hao Wang

  • June 25, 2026

  • 0 min

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Objective:

To evaluate whether the use of a silver-impregnated occlusive dressing is associated with a lower incidence of acute surgical site infection compared with standard sterile dressing in patients undergoing direct anterior total hip arthroplasty.

Approach:
  • Patient Selection: Retrospective review of 321 patients who underwent primary THA via DAA from September 2020 to December 2025, excluding certain cases to mitigate early learning-curve effects.
  • Surgical Technique: All procedures performed by a single surgeon using a lateralized incision to reduce inguinal fold contact.
  • Dressing Protocol: Standard sterile gauze was used until August 2021, after which AQUACEL® Ag SURGICAL was implemented, with dressing changes every 7 days.
  • Outcome Measures: Primary outcome was acute surgical site infection within 30 days; secondary outcomes included periprosthetic joint infection and return to OR for wound-related complications within 90 days.
  • Data Analysis: Data analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics; comparisons made using appropriate statistical tests.
Key Findings:
  • The use of silver-impregnated occlusive dressings was associated with a lower incidence of acute surgical site infections compared to standard sterile dressings.
  • The study included a total of 321 patients with a follow-up period of at least three months.
Interpretation:

Limitations:
  • Retrospective design may introduce bias.
  • No a priori power analysis was performed.
Conclusion:

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