An animal model for open femur fracture and osteomyelitis: Part I

✍ Scribed by Brock A. Lindsey; Nina B. Clovis; E. Suzanne Smith; Sydha Salihu; David F. Hubbard

• Book ID: 102394172
• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 2009
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 107 KB
• Volume: 28
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0736-0266
• DOI: 10.1002/jor.20960

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

Infection is an everyday problem in orthopaedics and is quite common in open fracture management. To study this process and provide a basis to prevent infection, we developed a model that includes trauma (blunt fracture in the fashion of Bonnarens and Einhorn), surgical stabilization (standardized intramedullary K‐wire fixation), and infection (Staphylococcus aureus inoculum). In this two‐part study, we found that 10^2^ colony‐forming units of inoculum produced an optimal infection rate of 90–100%, which substantially challenged the immune system without overwhelming sepsis. We hypothesized that, in traumatic fractures, there is a specific immunological response that may lead to an increased rate of infection. In Part 2, we demonstrated immunosuppression (decreased Interleukin‐12 levels) at days 6, 10, and 12 after fracture fixation versus nonfractured control groups (p < 0.05). This study describes a rat model of femur factures with osteomyelitis that allows investigation of posttraumatic immunosuppression. © 2009 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 28:38–42, 2010