Effectiveness of an Antibiotic-impregnated Bioabsorbable Carrier for the Treatment of Chronic Intramedullary and Diffuse Osteomyelitis.

AIM: The surgical management of chronic intramedullary osteomyelitis involves debridement of affected non-viable tissue and the use of antibiotics. Where surgery leaves a cavity, dead-space management is often through antibiotic-impregnated bone cement. These depots of local antibiotics are variable in elution properties and need removal. We review our unit's experience using a bioabsorbable synthetic calcium sulphate to deliver gentamicin as an adjunct in the treatment of osteomyelitis involving the medullary canal.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 34 patients with chronic osteomyelitis who were treated using this method in our institute. Variables recorded included aetiology, previous interventions, diagnostic criteria, radiological features, serology, and microbiology. The Cierny-Mader system was used to classify. Follow-up involved a survival analysis to time to recurrence, clinical and functional assessment (AOFAS-Ankle/IOWA knee/Oxford Hip/DASH scores) and a general health outcome questionnaire (SF36). The primary outcome measure was clinical recurrence of infection.

RESULTS: There were 24 male and 10 female patients. The mean age at presentation was 47 years (20-67). Clinical, laboratory, radiological, and patient reported outcomes were obtained at a median follow-up of 2.5 years (1.4-6.6 years). The bones involved were the femur (14, 41%), tibia (16, 47%), radius (1, 3%), and humerus (3, 9%). There were 13 cases classified as Cierny-Mader stage IV (diffuse with intramedullary osteomyelitis) and 21 cases as Cierny-Mader stage I. The median Oxford Hip score was 38 (11 patients, range 9-48). The median AOFAS score was 78 (14 patients, range 23-100). The median IOWA knee score was 71 (25 patients, range 22-95). The median DASH score was 33 (2 patients, range 1.7-64.2). There were two recurrences. The treatment success to date is 94%.

CONCLUSION: In our series of patients, bioabsorbable carriers of antibiotics appear to be effective adjuncts to surgical treatment of osteomyelitis and were associated with high clinical success rates.

HOW TO CITE THIS ARTICLE: Selvaratnam V, Roche A, Narayan B, et al . Effectiveness of an Antibiotic-impregnated Bioabsorbable Carrier for the Treatment of Chronic Intramedullary and Diffuse Osteomyelitis. Strategies Trauma Limb Reconstr 2023;18(3):148-154.