NEUTROPHIL FUNCTIONS IN PATIENTS WITH FRACTURES OF THE UPPER END OF THE FEMUR

In the present study, neutrophil functions were examined in vitro in 4 0 patients suffering from fractures of the upper end of the femur (tro chanteric and subcapital). Adherence to nylon, serum chemotaxis, and p hagocytosis-bactericidal function were assayed. Three microbial strain s, namely, Staphylococcus aureus, S. epidermidis, and Pseudomonas aeru ginosa, were used for the experiments. Adherence of the patients' neut rophils was found normal. On the contrary, the chemotactic ability of the patients' sera was inferior to that of healthy controls, phagocyto sis and bactericidal function were also significantly impaired for all three bacterial strains. The results were independent of fracture sit e (intracapsular or extracapsular), sex, and age. The observed host de fense disorders provide additional information that helps to explain t he increased susceptibility of these patients to bacterial infections.