Editorial Commentary: Synovial Fluid White Blood Cell Is the Gold Standard to Detect Infection After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: Don't Hesitate to Aspirate.

Abstract

Infection after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction can have devastating consequences, including potential graft loss, arthrofibrosis, chondral destruction or chondrolysis, and secondary osteoarthritis. Early detection and aggressive management are imperative to improve the chances of infection eradication, graft retention, and to decrease the risk of chondral loss. One must have a high index of suspicion and not shy away from working up a possible infection. Synovial fluid aspiration and cell count, specifically white blood cell count, is the gold standard to diagnose postoperative infection.