Prophylactic antibiotics in total joint arthroplasty

The surgical profession has come a long way since the catastrophic infection rates that plagued our profession prior to Lord Lister’s promotion, and the eventual widespread implementation of aseptic antiseptic technique.^1,2 The successive advance in health care that along with anaesthesia, had a significant impact on the surgical field, was the discovery of antibiotics.^3,4 As these discoveries evolved, post-operative infections became an infrequent, yet no less devastating complication.