Surprise positive culture rate in the treatment of presumed aseptic long-bone nonunion: a systematic review with meta-analysis of 2397 patients.

Introduction: In pre-operatively presumed aseptic nonunions, the definitive diagnosis of infection relies on intraoperative cultures. Our primary objective was to determine (1) the rate of surprise positive intraoperative cultures in presumed aseptic long-bone nonunion (surprise positive culture nonunion), and (2) the rate of surprise positive cultures that represent infection vs. contamination.