Researches in orthopedic wound infection.

The roles of personnel, clean air, and the patient in the contamination of clean orthopedic wounds have been investigated over a three-year period. Personnel control showed striking decreases in operative infection rates. Wound cultures failed to show specific routes of infection. Microspheres were useful tracers for contamination of a clean air operating room and indicated that residual wound contamination occurred from surgical personnel or from the patient's skin.