Background: After partial bone resection for osteomyelitis there is a high rate of osteomyelitis occurrence in the remaining bone due to adherent bacterial biofilm, dysvascular infected spongiosum bone, and absence of a surgical technique that can prevent osteomyelitis developing in the remaining bone.
Methods: Presented is a surgical procedure using a dicalcium phosphate bone void filler putty with antibiotics placed into the remaining bone to prevent the development of osteomyelitis, therefore preventing amputation.
Results: This procedure has an osteomyelitis eradication rate of 94.8% and also decreases the rate of lower-extremity amputations.
Conclusions: This procedure provides a single stage surgical technique for infected open bone defects decreasing the previously reported high osteomyelitis reoccurrence rate of 57.1% to 5.2%.