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ArticleEuropean journal of orthopaedic surgery & traumatology : orthopedie traumatologie2025

Flap coverage within 8 days does not increase fracture-related infection risk: results of a protocol implementation in a developing country.

Álvaro I Zamorano, Matías A Vaccia, Carlos F Albarrán, Rodrigo I Parra, Tomás Turner, Ignacio A Rivera, Tomás Errázuriz, Andrés S A Oyarzún, Osvaldo A Garrido, Pablo F Suárez and 2 more

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Article in European journal of orthopaedic surgery & traumatology : orthopedie traumatologie, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

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1citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors.

Álvaro I ZamoranoLower Extremities Trauma Unit, Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Hospital Clínico Mutual de Seguridad, Alameda 4848, Estación Central, Santiago, Chile. azamorano@hcuch.cl.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2691-8664
Matías A VacciaLower Extremities Trauma Unit, Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Hospital Clínico Mutual de Seguridad, Alameda 4848, Estación Central, Santiago, Chile.
Carlos F AlbarránDepartment of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Hospital Clínico Universidad de Chile Orthopedic Surgery Service, Santiago, Chile.
Rodrigo I ParraDepartment of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Postgraduate School, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
Tomás TurnerDepartment of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Postgraduate School, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
Ignacio A RiveraDepartment of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Postgraduate School, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
Tomás ErrázurizDepartment of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Postgraduate School, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
Andrés S A OyarzúnLower Extremities Trauma Unit, Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Hospital Clínico Mutual de Seguridad, Alameda 4848, Estación Central, Santiago, Chile.
Osvaldo A GarridoLower Extremities Trauma Unit, Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Hospital Clínico Mutual de Seguridad, Alameda 4848, Estación Central, Santiago, Chile.
Pablo F SuárezLower Extremities Trauma Unit, Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Hospital Clínico Mutual de Seguridad, Alameda 4848, Estación Central, Santiago, Chile.
Pierluca ZecchettoLower Extremities Trauma Unit, Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Hospital Clínico Mutual de Seguridad, Alameda 4848, Estación Central, Santiago, Chile.
Luis A BahamondeLower Extremities Trauma Unit, Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Hospital Clínico Mutual de Seguridad, Alameda 4848, Estación Central, Santiago, Chile.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionOpen tibia fractures that require a soft tissue flap for adequate coverage (Gustilo- Anderson IIIB) are a significant challenge for trauma units. The incidence of fracture-related infection (FRI) has been reported to range between 10% and 52%. Early antibiotic therapy, followed by surgical debridement and early soft tissue coverage, is considered a safe and effective treatment. Typically, the gold standard is the "fix and flap" approach. However, local circumstances can impact the feasibility of early flap coverage. This study aims to determine whether there is a safe window for soft tissue coverage when an immediate ortho-plastic approach is not available. MATERIALS AND

methodsIn this retrospective analysis of a prospective cohort of 803 patients who sustained a tibia fracture and were treated in a level I trauma centre in a developing country, we describe a local protocol of management. Of all the patients, 61 met the inclusion criteria and were followed for at least 12 months after flap coverage. The primary outcome was the development of FRI.

resultsPatients who underwent flap surgery within 8 days of the fracture, following the local protocol, had a 12.5% infection rate.

conclusionsUtilizing a standardized management protocol followed by soft tissue flap coverage performed within 8 days is safe and effective in reducing the risk of developing FRI in open tibia fractures GA IIIB.

Indexed as

Fractures, OpenSurgical FlapsSurgical Wound InfectionTibial FracturesAdultAgedAnti-Bacterial AgentsClinical ProtocolsDebridementDeveloping CountriesFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedRetrospective StudiesTime FactorsAnti-Bacterial AgentsFracture related infectionOpen tibia fractureOrtho-plasticSoft-tissue flapTrauma

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.