Using cement plugs in soft tissue infection and osteomyelitis

Operative foot and ankle osteomyelitis is challenging for orthopedic surgeons because of the area’s unique anatomy, high trauma incidence, local and systemic disease effects, and often limited space. Standard treatment includes aggressive operative debridement with local and systemic antibiotic administration to control infection. Dead space management is critical yet technically demanding. The authors report a modified antibiotic cement bead therapy technique in which antibiotic sticks, minnows, and mushroom-shaped plugs are used to strike a balance between the stability of the load-bearing unit and radical removal of infection to preserve a functional foot. Three cases are presented.