Risk factors for infectious complications after open fractures; a systematic review and meta-analysis

__Purpose__ The purpose of this study was to identify risk factors for the development of infection after open fracture fixation. __Methods__ A comprehensive search in all scientific literature of the last 30 years was performed in order to identify patient-, trauma-, diagnosis- and treatment-related risk f

Management of critical-sized bone defects in the treatment of fracture-related infection: a systematic review and pooled analysis

Purpose: This systematic review determined the reported treatment strategies, their individual success rates, and other outcome parameters in the management of critical-sized bone defects in fracture-related infection (FRI) patients between 1990 and 2018. Methods: A systematic literature search on treatment and outcome of critical-sized bone defects in FRI was performed. Treatment strategies identified were, autologous cancellous grafts, autologous cancellous grafts combined with local antibiotics, the induced membrane technique, vascularized grafts, Ilizarov bone transport, and bone transport combined with local antibiotics. Outcomes were bone healing and infection eradication after primary surgical protocol and recurrence of FRI and amputations at the end of study period. Results: Fifty studies were included, describing 1530 patients, the tibia was affected in 82%. Mean age was 40 years (range 6–80), with predominantly male subjects (79%). Mean duration of infection was 17 months (range 1–624) and mean follow-up 51 months (range 6–126). After initial protocolized treatment, FRI was cured in 83% (95% CI 79–87) of all cases, increasing to 94% (95% CI 92–96) at the end of each individual study. Recurrence of infection was seen in 8% (95% CI 6–11) and amputation in 3% (95% CI 2–3). Final outcomes overlapped across treatment strategies. Conclusion: Results should be interpreted with caution due to the retrospective and observational design of most studies, the lack of clear classification systems, incomplete data reports, potential underreporting of adverse outcomes, and heterogeneity in patient series. A consensus on classification, treatment protocols, and outcome is needed to improve reliability of future studies

Insights into treatment and outcome of fracture-related infection: a systematic literature review

Introduction: Standardized guidelines for treatment of fracture-related infection (FRI) are lacking. Worldwide many treatment protocols are used with variable success rates. Awareness on the need of standardized, evidence-based guidelines has increased in recent years. This systematic literature review gives an overview of available diagnostic criteria, classifications, treatment protocols, and related outcome measurements for surgically treated FRI patients. Methods: A comprehensive search was performed in all scientific literature since 1990. Studies

Evidence-Based Recommendations for Local Antimicrobial Strategies and Dead Space Management in Fracture-Related Infection

Summary:Fracture-related infection (FRI) remains a challenging complication that imposes a heavy burden on orthopaedic trauma patients. The surgical management eradicates the local infectious focus and if necessary facilitates bone healing. Treatment success is associated with debridement of all dead and poorly vascularized tissue. However, debridement is often associated with the formation of a dead space, which provides an ideal environment for bacteria and is a potential site for recurrent infection. Dead space management is therefore of critical importance. For this reason, the use of locally delivered antimicrobials has gained attention not only for local antimicrobial activity but also for dead space management. Local antimicrobial therapy has been widely studied in periprosthetic joint infection, without addressing the specific problems of FRI. Furthermore, the literature presents a wide array of methods and guidelines with respect to the use of local antimicrobials. The present review describes the scientific evidence related to dead space management with a focus on the currently available local antimicrobial strategies in the management of FRI.Level of Evidence:Therapeutic Level V. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence

Diagnosing Fracture-Related Infection: Current Concepts and Recommendations

Summary:Fracture-related infection (FRI) is a severe complication after bone injury and can pose a serious diagnostic challenge. Overall, there is a limited amount of scientific evidence regarding diagnostic criteria for FRI. For this reason, the AO Foundation and the European Bone and Joint Infection Society proposed a consensus definition for FRI to standardize the diagnostic criteria and improve the quality of patient care and applicability of future studies regarding this condition. The aim of this article was to summarize the available evidence and provide recommendations for the diagnosis of FRI. For this purpose, the FRI consensus definition will be discussed together with a proposal for an update based on the available evidence relating to the diagnostic value of clinical parameters, serum inflammatory markers, imaging modalities, tissue and sonication fluid sampling, molecular biology techniques, and histopathological examination. Second, recommendations on microbiology specimen sampling and laboratory operating procedures relevant to FRI will be provided.Level of Evidence:Diagnostic Level V. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence

General treatment principles for fracture-related infection: recommendations from an international expert group

Fracture-related infection (FRI) remains a challenging complication that creates a heavy burden for orthopaedic trauma patients, their families and treating physicians, as well as for healthcare systems. Standardization of the diagnosis of FRI has been poor, which made the undertaking and comparison of studies difficult. Recently, a consensus definition based on diagnostic criteria for FRI was published. As a well-established diagnosis is the first step in the treatment process of FRI, such a definition should not only improve the quality of published reports but also daily clinical practice. The FRI consensus group recently developed guidelines to standardize treatment pathways and outcome measures. At the center of these recommendations was the implementation of a multidisciplinary team (MDT) approach. If such a team is not available, it is recommended to refer complex cases to specialized centers where a MDT is available and physicians are experienced with the treatment of FRI. This should lead to appropriate use of antimicrobials and standardization of surgical strategies. Furthermore, an MDT could play an important role in host optimization. Overall two main surgical concepts are considered, based on the fact that fracture fixation devices primarily target fracture consolidation and can be removed after healing, in contrast to periprosthetic joint infection were the implant is permanent. The first concept consists of implant retention and the second consists of implant removal (healed fracture) or implant exchange (unhealed fracture). In both cases, deep tissue sampling for microbiological examination is mandatory. Key aspects of the surgical management of FRI are a thorough debridement, irrigation with normal saline, fracture stability, dead space management and adequate soft tissue coverage. The use of local antimicrobials needs to be strongly considered. In case of FRI, empiric broad-spectrum antibiotic therapy should be started after tissue sampling. Thereafter, this needs to be adapted according to culture results as soon as possible. Finally, a minimum follow-up of 12 months after cessation of therapy is recommended. Standardized patient outcome measures purely focusing on FRI are currently not available but the patient-reported outcomes measurement information system (PROMIS) seems to be the preferred tool to assess the patients’ short and long-term outcome. This review summarizes the current general principles which should be considered during the whole treatment process of patients with FRI based on recommendations from the FRI Consensus Group. Level of evidence: Level V

Fracture-related outcome study for operatively treated tibia shaft fractures (F.R.O.S.T.): registry rationale and design

Background: Tibial shaft fractures (TSFs) are among the most common long bone injuries often resulting from high-energy trauma. To date, musculoskeletal complications such as fracture-related infection (FRI) and compromised fracture healing following fracture fixation of these injuries are still prevalent. The relatively high complication rates prove that, despite advances in modern fracture care, the management of TSFs remains a challenge even in the hands of experienced surgeons. Therefore, the Fracture-Related Outcome Study for operatively treated Tibia shaft fractures (F.R.O.S.T.) aims at creating a registry that enables data mining to gather detailed information to support future clinical decision-making regarding the management of TSF’s. Methods: This prospective, international, multicenter, observational registry for TSFs was recently developed. Recruitment started in 2019 and is planned to take 36 months, seeking to enroll a minimum of 1000 patients. The study protocol does not influence the clinical decision-making procedure, implant choice, or surgical/imaging techniques; these are being performed as per local hospital standard of care. Data collected in this registry include injury specifics, treatment details, clinical outcomes (e.g., FRI), patient-reported outcomes, and procedure- or implant-related adverse events. The minimum follow up is 12 months. Discussion: Although over the past decades, multiple high-quality studies have addressed individual research questions related to the outcome of TSFs, knowledge gaps remain. The scarcity of data calls for an international high-quality, population-based registry. Creating such a database could optimize strategies intended to prevent severe musculoskeletal complications. The main purpose of the F.R.O.S.T registry is to evaluate the association between different treatment strategies and patient outcomes. It will address not only operative techniques and implant materials but also perioperative preventive measures. For the first time, data concerning systemic perioperative antibiotic prophylaxis, the influence of local antimicrobials, and timing of soft-tissue coverage will be collected at an international level and correlated with standardized outcome measures in a large prospective, multicenter, observational registry for global accessibility. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT03598530