Objective: To determine the effectiveness of various types of antibiotic-coated intramedullary implants in the treatment of septic long bone nonunion.
Design: Retrospective chart review.
Setting: Level 1 trauma center.
Participants: Forty-one patients with septic long bone nonunion treated with an antibiotic cement-coated intramedullary implant.
Intervention: Surgical debridement and placement of a type of antibiotic-coated intramedullary implant.
Main outcome measurements: Union and need for reoperation.
Results: At an average 27-month follow-up (6-104), 27 patients (66%) had a modified radiographic union score of the tibia of 11.5 or greater, 12 patients (29%) a score lower than 11.5, and 2 patients (5%) underwent subsequent amputation. Six patients underwent no further surgical procedures after the index operation. Patients treated with a rigid, locked antibiotic nail achieved earlier weight-bearing (P = 0.001), less frequently required autograft (P = 0.005), and underwent fewer subsequent procedures (average 0.38 vs. 3.60, P = 0.004) than those treated with flexible core antibiotic rods.
Conclusions: Antibiotic-coated intramedullary implants are successful in the treatment of septic nonunions in long bones. In our cohort, rigid, statically locked nails allowed faster rehabilitation, decreased the need for autograft, and decreased the number of additional surgical procedures. Further study is needed to confirm these findings.
Level of evidence: Therapeutic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
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