INFLUENCE OF TYPE OF MEDULLARY NAIL ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF LOCAL INFECTION - AN EXPERIMENTAL-STUDY OF SOLID AND SLOTTED NAILS IN RABBITS

Any operation involving the implantation of a foreign body increases t he risk of infection. The implant material and its surface, the dead s pace, and any necrosis or vascular changes play a significant role in susceptibility to infection. We investigated the effect of the dead sp ace in an intramedullary nail on the rate of local infection. We inocu lated the intramedullary cavities of rabbit tibiae with various concen trations of a human pathogen, of Staphylococcus aureus strain, and the n inserted either a solid or a hollow slotted stainless-steel nail. We found a significantly higher rate of infection after use of the slott ed nail (59%) than after the solid nail (27%) (p < 0.05).