Introduction to adult posttraumatic osteomyelitis of the tibia

The tibia is the most frequent site of an open fracture, and treatment of a dult posttraumatic osteomyelitis of the tibia represents a significant clin ical problem that has been recognized for centuries. Ancient modalities suc h as immobilization and debridement are still mainstays of therapy, and rec ent developments such as the use of antibiotics and muscle transfer have he lped to improve outcome. Osteomyelitis is classified based on the Cierny-Ma der system to provide prognostic and therapeutic information. Open fracture s can be classified by the Gustilo system, again providing prognostic and t herapeutic data. Gustilo Type III fractures have a high likelihood of havin g infection develop. Treatment principles include immobilization, thorough debridement, control of infection through antibiotic use, control of dead s pace, and soft tissue coverage.