Skip to main content Skip to search Skip to main navigation

Why is compliance with the applicable guidelines for water treatment in the sterile processing procedure so relevant for orthopaedics?

In orthopaedic surgery in hospitals, the availability of sterile instruments for orthopaedic procedures is of great importance.

For orthopaedic operations such as the insertion of

  • artificial hip joints
  • artificial knee joints
  • Fixation of bone bridges with plates and screws
  • spinal fusions,

implants must be placed with sterile instruments in a sterile environment. In order to be able to provide this, the AEMP (reprocessing unit for medical devices) requires deionised process water throughout the cleaning, disinfection and sterilisation process. This is essential to minimise the risk of infection during the procedure. If bacteria, viruses or fungi enter the operating theatre, they can cause bone infections (osteomyelitis), for example. Such infections can lead to further operations and impair the functionality of the affected limbs. In some cases, an infection can even lead to an implant having to be removed and replaced. To minimise this risk of infection, safe instrument reprocessing with specially treated process water is necessary.

Special water treatment systems are used for this instrument reprocessing process in the AEMP, which ensure that ultrapure water can be provided for this purpose. The quality of the treated water is continuously monitored to ensure that the recommended limit values for all parameters are adhered to.