MIPPF allowed uneventful healing and restoration of the preinjury level of function in most patients. However, complications occurred in a substantial number of patients, which needs attention when planning surgery.

Results of the treatment of intra-articular fractures of the distal tibia have improved significantly during the last two decades.Recognition of the role of soft tissues has led to the development of a staged treatment strategy. At the first stage, joint-bridging external fixation and fibular fixation are performed. This leads to partial reduction of the distal tibial fracture and allows time for the healing of soft tissues and detailed surgical planning.Definitive open reduction and internal fixation of the tibial fracture is performed at a second stage, when the condition of the soft tissues is safe. The preferred surgical approach(es) is chosen based on the fracture morphology as determined from standard radiographic views and computed tomography.Meticulous atraumatic soft-tissue handling and the use of modern fixation techniques for the metaphyseal component such as minimally invasive plate osteosynthesis further facilitate healing.Cite this article: EFORT Open Rev 2017;2:352-361. DOI: 10.1302/2058-5241.2.150047

Purpose — to evaluate the presence and duration of antibiotic activity of antibiotic-impregnated bone cement based coatings samples against antibiotic-sensitive and antibiotic-resistant microorganisms.Material and Methods. Bone cement based coatings impregnated with antibiotics (gentamycin, vancomycin, colistin, meropenem, fosfomycin) are formed on titanium (Ti) plates. A plate rinse was carried out; antibiotic concentrations in the rinsed solutions were estimated by a serial broth microdilution method. Antibacterial activity of the control and rinsed samples against the antibiotic-sensitive and multiple-antibiotic-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains was estimated by a bilayer agar method.Results. The meropenem and fosfomycin concentrations in the rinsed solutions obtained at a one-fold (16 μg/ml for both antibiotics) and two-fold treatment (2 μg/ml for meropenem and 8 μg/ml for fosfomycin) were sufficient to suppress the growth of the control strains. One-fold rinse of samples with colistin eliminated their antibacterial activity completely. The marked activity of the samples with meropenem and fosfomycin persisted against the antibiotic-sensitive P. aeruginosa ATCC 27853 strain after 2 rinse cycles; single-rinsed samples with fosfomycin also maintained the activity against the extensively antibioticresistant P. aeruginosa BP-150 strain. Vancomycin-containing samples possessed the sufficient antibacterial activity against both methicillin-sensitive (MSSA) and methicillin-resistant (MRSA) S. aureus strains; two-fold rinse of the samples eliminated their bactericidal properties.Conclusion. Bone cement based coatings impregnated with fosfomycin and meropenem possess the most marked and long-lasting antibacterial activity, manifested mainly against the antibiotic-sensitive strains.

Open reduction and internal fixation is the treatment of choice for displaced acetabular fractures. The surgical approach depends on the fracture type, concomitant injuries, and general condition of the patient. The ilioinguinal approach provides a good exposure to the medial wall and is associated with an acceptable degree of surgical trauma. Exposure of the joint surface, however, is difficult when using the ilioinguinal approach. We report a case of a polytraumatized 39-year-old patient who sustained a posterior hip displacement and a two-column acetabular fracture. An osteotomy of the iliac ala was performed via an ilioinguinal approach to fragments of the acetabular surface that were displaced distally. Thereby, reposition of a craniolateral fragment was achieved without the need to extend the surgical approach or to perform a second incision.

Nowadays, the infection recurrence rate in osteomyelitis is still high. New hardware not only allowing one to stabilize bone fragments, but also having antibacterial activity seems to be an extremely useful and promising task. The goal of the study was to assess the effectiveness of use of an antibacterial coating based on polymethylmethacrylate cement in experiment and in infected nonunions of long tubular bones of the lower limbs. Bone cement-based coatings impregnated with antibiotics were formed on titanium plates. A plate rinse was carried out; antibiotic concentrations in the rinsed solutions were estimated by a serial broth microdilution method. The antibacterial activity of control and rinsed samples against the antibiotic-sensitive and multiple-antibiotic-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains was estimated by a bilayer agar method. Clinical part. The study included 70 patients divided into 2 groups: osteosynthesis with antibacterial-coated interlocking nail (40 patients, main group) and osteosynthesis with an external fixation device (30 patients, control group) comparable in age, sex and disease duration. The effectiveness of the antibacterial coating was analyzed by the duration of systemic use of antibiotics and infection recurrence rate. The concentrations of meropenem and phosphomycin in the rinsed solutions obtained at one-fold and two-fold treatments were sufficient to suppress the growth of control strains. Vancomycin-containing samples possessed sufficient antibacterial activity against both methicillin-sensitive (MSSA) and methicillin-resistant (MRSA) S. aureus strains, double rinse of the samples eliminated their bactericidal properties. The duration of systemic antibacterial therapy in the main group was statistically significantly lower than in the control group (U = 77.5, p < 0.001), and in the main group the infection recurrence rate was lower than 32.5 % vs. 86.7 % (χ2 = 20.39, p < 0.001). The PMMA-based coating impregnated with phosphomycin, meropenem or vancomycin possesses sufficient and long-lasting antibacterial activity, mainly against antibiotic-sensitive strains. An adequate use of such a coating in clinical practice allows one to obtain the desired result of treatment.