Does Local Aqueous Tobramycin Injection Reduce Open Fracture-Related Infection Rates?

OBJECTIVES: To examine the effect of local aqueous tobramycin injection adjunct to perioperative intravenous (IV) antibiotic prophylaxis in reducing fracture-related infections (FRIs) following reduction and internal fixation of open fractures. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Single academic Level I trauma center. PATIENTS SELECTION CRITERIA: Patients with open extremity fractures treated with reduction and internal fixation with (intervention group) or without (control group) 80 mg of local aqueous (2 mg/mL) tobramycin injected during closure at the time of definitive fixation were identified from December 2018 to August 2021 based on population-matched demographic and injury characteristics. OUTCOME MEASURES AND COMPARISONS: The primary outcome was FRI within 6 months of definitive fixation. Secondary outcomes consisted of fracture nonunion and bacterial speciation. Differences in outcomes between the 2 groups were assessed and logistic regression models were created to assess the difference in infection rates between groups, with and without controlling for potential confounding variables, such as sex, fracture location, and Gustilo-Anderson classification. RESULTS: An analysis of 157 patients was performed with 78 patients in the intervention group and 79 patients in the control group. In the intervention group, 30 (38.5%) patients were women with a mean age of 47.1 years. In the control group, 42 (53.2%) patients were women with a mean age of 46.4 years. The FRI rate was 11.5% in the intervention group compared with 25.3% in the control group ( P = 0.026). After controlling for sex, Gustilo-Anderson classification, and fracture location, the difference in FRI rates between groups remained significantly different ( P = 0.014). CONCLUSIONS: Local aqueous tobramycin injection at the time of definitive internal fixation of open extremity fractures was associated with a significant reduction in FRI rates when administered as an adjunct to intravenous antibiotics, even after controlling for potential confounding variables. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Nonoperative Treatment of Humeral Shaft Fractures With Immediate Functional Bracing Versus Coaptation Splinting and Delayed Functional Bracing: A Retrospective Study.

OBJECTIVES: To compare radiographic and clinical outcomes in nonoperative management of humeral shaft fractures treated initially with coaptation splinting (CS) followed by delayed functional bracing (FB) versus treatment with immediate FB. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Academic Level 1 Trauma Center. PATIENT SELECTION CRITERIA: Patients with closed humeral shaft fractures managed nonoperatively with initial CS followed by delayed FB or with immediate FB from 2016 to 2022. Patients younger than 18 years and/or with less than 3 months of follow-up were excluded. OUTCOME MEASURES AND COMPARISONS: The primary outcome was coronal and sagittal radiographic alignment assessed at the final follow-up. Secondary outcomes included rate of failure of nonoperative management (defined as surgical conversion and/or fracture nonunion), fracture union, and skin complications secondary to splint/brace wear. RESULTS: Ninety-seven patients were managed nonoperatively with delayed FB (n = 58) or immediate FB (n = 39). Overall, the mean age was 49.9 years (range 18-94 years), and 64 (66%) patients were female. The immediate FB group had less smokers ( P = 0.003) and lower incidence of radial nerve palsy ( P = 0.025), with more proximal third humeral shaft fractures ( P = 0.001). There were no other significant differences in demographic or clinical characteristics ( P > 0.05). There were no significant differences in coronal ( P = 0.144) or sagittal ( P = 0.763) radiographic alignment between the groups. In total, 33 (34.0%) humeral shaft fractures failed nonoperative management, with 11 (28.2%) in the immediate FB group and 22 (37.9%) in the delayed FB group ( P = 0.322). There were no significant differences in fracture union ( P = 0.074) or skin complications ( P = 0.259) between the groups. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that nonoperative treatment of humeral shaft fractures with immediate functional bracing did not result in significantly different radiographic or clinical outcomes compared to treatment with CS followed by delayed functional bracing. Future prospective studies assessing patient-reported outcomes will further guide clinical decision making. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.