Patients treated for infection following ACL reconstruction with graft removal have poorer outcomes than those treated with graft retention: A systematic review.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate patient outcomes following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) complicated by septic arthritis treated with graft retention versus graft removal protocols. Secondarily, this study aimed to evaluate surgical, demographic and microbial surgical indications for graft retention versus graft removal. We hypothesised that patients who underwent graft removal would have worse outcomes and that patients with septic arthritis caused by more virulent organisms, such as methicillin-resistant or , would be more likely to undergo graft removal.