Factors Associated With the Development of a Confirmed Fracture-Related Infection.

Objectives: To identify factors associated with the development of fracture-related infection (FRI) in patients who have undergone operative fixation of their fracture.

Design: Retrospective study.

Setting: Academic medical center.

Patients/participants: Patients with peripheral extremity long-bone fractures and shoulder and pelvic girdle fractures who underwent operative repair. This included patients who had undergone fixation inside and outside of our institution.

Intervention: Chi-square, Fisher exact testing, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and t tests were used for analysis of data, as appropriate. Binomial logistic regression analysis was performed to determine risk factors of FRI.

Main Outcome Measurements: Demographics, fracture location, injury mechanism, open wound status, and wound complication type.

Results: One hundred ninety-three patients comprised the FRI cohort. Of those with confirmed signs of FRI, 36 (18.7%) had wound breakdown to bone or implant, 120 (62.1%) had a sinus track, and 170 patients (88.1%) had the confirmed presence of microorganisms in deep tissue samples obtained during operative intervention. Factors associated with development of an FRI were as follows: higher BMI; being of Black and Hispanic race; higher American Society of Anesthesiologists class; history of tobacco, alcohol, and drug use; and fractures of the lower extremity (foot, tibia, and femur/pelvis). The results of binary logistic regression demonstrated that treatment at an urban level I trauma center and drug use positively predicted the development of FRI.

Conclusion: Our results demonstrate that higher BMI; being of Black or Hispanic race; higher American Society of Anesthesiologists; history of tobacco, alcohol, and drug use; and fractures of the foot, tibia, and femur/pelvis are all factors associated with development of FRI.

Level Of Evidence: Prognostic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.