Treatment regimens for fracture-related infection (FRI) often refer to the classification of Willenegger and Roth, which stratifies FRIs based on time of onset of symptoms. The classification includes early (<2 weeks), delayed (2–10 weeks) and late (>10 weeks) infections. Early infections are generally treated with debridement and systemic antibiotics but may not require implant removal. Delayed and late infections, in contrast, are believed to have a mature biofilm on the implant, and therefore, treatment often involves implant removal. This distinction between early and delayed infections has never been established in a controlled clinical or preclinical study. This study tested the hypothesis that early and delayed FRIs respond differently to treatment comprising implant retention. A complete humeral osteotomy in 16 rabbits was fixed with a 7-hole-LCP and inoculated with Aim
Method
