The antibiotic bead pouch is a useful technique for temporary soft tissue coverage. After the introduction of negative wound pressure therapy, it has fallen into oblivion. However, the technique has several advantages, which are highlighted in the present review article. After debridement, the antibiotic beads deliver high dosages of antibiotics suitable for bone cements. This enables a sterile wound, which might help to avoid either infection or progress of infection.

This international retrospective cohort study displays the diagnostic characteristics of 609 patients who were treated for fracture-related infection (FRI). Clinical confirmatory criteria were present in 77% of patients. In the remaining patients, the decision to operatively collect deep tissue cultures had to be based on a set of suggestive criteria. The combined use of these suggestive criteria should guide treating physicians in the management pathway of FRI.

In a low-resource setting, we studied the risk factors for infection in 101 open fractures treated with the SIGN nail. We found that infection of fractures increased with fracture severity. The treatment-related factors found to have significant association with infection were also essentially the same as those known in advanced countries. We believe low-resource settings could affordably adopt management approaches of high-income countries to achieve good outcomes despite the scarce resources.

The aim of this study is to summarize and improve knowledge regarding fracture-related infection caused by Candida (CFRI) through a systematic review on the topic, accompanied by a case report. Candida infections in fractures are rare but difficult-to-treat events. The existing fracture-related infection treatment algorithm combined with long-term systemic antifungal therapy has an anecdotal value and needs more extensive studies to be validated.