[Treatment of infected intramedullary osteosynthesis. A comparison of various therapeutic procedures]

A retrospective study was undertaken of the results of three different treatment regimens in 24 patients with postoperative infection subsequent to intramedullary nailing treated in our hospital between 1980 and 1989. In all cases, the nail was first removed. There- after, 9 patients were treated with continuous sump drainage (A), 9 patients received gentamicin PMMA chains and secondary cancellous bone grafts (B), and 6 patients were treated with local myoplasty (C). The results of a follow-up examination performed 27 months after the end of treatment showed 5 patients in group A with signs of residual infection. In groups B and C, no patient had clinical or radiological signs of residual infection at follow-up. These results confirm the positive effects of local antibiotic treatment and local myoplasty in posttraumatic bone infection.