Introduction

Open fractures are common, and infection a frequent complication. There is still uncertainty regarding the urgency of initial treatment. The majority of animal studies indicate that early irrigation and debridement reduces infection; unfortunately, these studies often do not involve antibiotics. Clinical studies indicate that the timing of initial debridement does not affect the infection rate. These studies are observational and fraught with confounding variables. The purpose of this study was to control for these variables using an animal model incorporating both systemic antibiotics and surgical treatment.