Diagnostic value of sinus tract culture versus intraoperative bone culture in patients with chronic osteomyelitis.

To compare the organisms isolated from the sinus tract culture and intraoperative bone culture in patients with chronic osteomyelitis. This cross sectional prospective study was conducted from February 2015 to March 2016. Ninety consecutive patients were enrolled in study (n=90). Inclusion criteria were patients with either sex, any age, chronic osteomyelitis having discharging sinus. Sample from sinus tracts and bone were taken through standardized aseptic technique and organism were cultured. There were 62 males and 28 females, male to female ratio 3:1, mean age was 40 years. 23 patients had primary osteomyelitis and 67 had secondary osteomyelitis. 68 patients had orthopaedic implant infections. In 61/90 (67%) patients the same organism was isolated on both sinus tract and intraoperative cultures.In our scenario we found that within the limitations of this study, there was a high ratio of agreement between the sinus tract and intraoperative cultures. We conclude that if used judiciously, sinus tract cultures can yield accurate results in the majority of cases.