Waste: A Multicentre Audit Of Waste Segregation Practices In Elective Knee And Hip Arthroplasty

Description

This episode of AI Talks with Bone & Joint discusses the April 2026 paper 'WaSTE: a multicentre audit of waste segregation practices in elective knee and hip arthroplasty' by R. Prakash and colleagues. Hosted by Simon and Amy, the conversation focuses on waste management in primary total hip and knee arthroplasty across 10 UK NHS centres. The study prospectively collected data from 222 procedures over six months, categorizing waste into infectious, offensive, recycling, general, sharps, and linen streams, and examined factors such as scrubbed personnel, drapes, implant brands, and complications. The hosts highlight that waste production varied significantly between centres, with mean waste of 14.8 kg for hip arthroplasty and 13.6 kg for knee arthroplasty. A key finding was that local centre practice, rather than procedure-specific factors, was the strongest predictor of waste production. The discussion emphasizes the environmental and financial benefits of better segregation, especially by using the offensive waste stream instead of infectious waste, which has a much higher carbon footprint. The episode also explores the impact of packaging, reusable drapes, team size, and educational interventions, concluding that standardized waste practices, reduced packaging, and collaboration with industry could substantially lower the carbon and cost burden of arthroplasty surgery.

Specialties

Paper Links

https://boneandjoint.org.uk/Article/10.1302/2633-1462.74.BJO-2025-0404.R1