Arthroscopes and some instruments for arthroscopic surgery were prepared
for use by soaking them for fifteen minutes in a cold solution of 2 per
cent glutaraldehyde. This method was practical, economical, safe, and
effective. Over a eight-year period we performed 12,505 arthroscopic
procedures with an infection rate of 0.04 per cent. Although technically
classified as a disinfectant, 2 per cent glutaraldehyde used under these
conditions proved to be an effective method of preparing arthroscopic
surgical instruments and was less damaging to these instruments than
methods involving sterilization by steam.