Antibiotic penetration into bone in relation to the immediate management of open fractures: a review

Bone is a vascular structure, which is capable of responding to changes in the systemic circulation. Antibiotics carried within the systemic circulation reach the capillaries in bone, and depending on molecular size, pass through the capillary walls to enter the fluid space. Following an open fracture, contamination with pathogenic organisms can occur both at the moment of injury, but also in the hospital, which is a particular problem in grade III fractures in which extensive soft tissue damage can occur in combination with an exposed wound. Antibiotics administered intravenously can be measured in bone by both bioassay and radioactive isotope techniques and are shown to reach bone in effective concentrations. It is apparent that short-course high-dose antibiotic therapy is appropriate for open fractures, and need not be continued as long as the normal fracture-healing process continues. However if infection in bone develops, further surgery is important to remove new dead tissue to allow adequate antibiotic penetration into bone. Thus antibiotics are useful when combined with effective surgical management, but do not on their own offer the only answer to management of the patient.