• A Dushi Parameswaran, Craig S Roberts, David Seligson, and Michael Voor.
• Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Louisville, 210 E. Gray Street, Suite 1003, Louisville, KY 40202, USA.
• J Orthop Trauma. 2003 Aug 1;17(7):503-7.

ObjectiveTo determine the incidence of pin tract infection.DESIGN Retrospective chart review.SettingLevel 1 trauma center in an urban community.PatientsA total of 285 patients with 285 fractures over a 4-year period (1997-2001).InterventionExternal fixation.Main Outcome MeasurementIncidence of pin tract infection.ResultsOf 285 fractures, 32 (11.2%) were complicated by infection. The incidence of infection according to montage was 3.9% (3/77) for ring fixators, which was significantly different (P < 0.04) from the 12.9% incidence (23/178) for unilateral fixators and the 20.0% incidence (6/30) for hybrid fixators (P = 0.004). The incidences of pin tract infection for the unilateral fixator group and the hybrid fixator group were not significantly different.ConclusionsPatients with hybrid external fixators had a similar risk of pin tract infection as patients who had unilateral fixators. The infection rate in the ring fixator group was significantly lower than the hybrid external and unilateral fixator groups.

22 keywords...

hide…