The infected fracture: can we agree on standard definitions?

A precise definition of infection after fracture fixation is essential for the evaluation of published research data and for the future establishment of uniform treatment concepts. Recently, a multidisciplinary expert panel has developed a consensus definition that includes 4 confirmatory criteria for infection following fracture fixation. These criteria are: Fistula, sinus, or wound breakdown; purulent drainage or deep purulence at surgery; positive cultures from at least 2 separate deep tissue/implant specimens taken during an operative intervention; and microorganisms in deep tissue specimens confirmed by histopathological staining. The consensus panel also identified 6 categories of suggestive criteria which are features associated with infection that requires further investigation.