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. 2025 Jul 2;26(1):586.
doi: 10.1186/s12891-025-08900-9.

Management of pathologic fracture of long bones as a complication of acute osteomyelitis: a challenging task for orthopedic surgeons

Ramin Zargarbashi  1 , Fardis Vosoughi  2 , Farhad Shaker  3 , Mozhgan Seifi  1 , Mona Mirbeyk  4 , Amir R Vafaee  1
Affiliations

Management of pathologic fracture of long bones as a complication of acute osteomyelitis: a challenging task for orthopedic surgeons

Ramin Zargarbashi et al. BMC Musculoskelet Disord. .

Abstract

Purpose: The management of pathologic fractures (PF) following osteomyelitis (especially the acute subtype) has not been widely investigated. Therefore, this study aims to assess a stepwise treatment plan for the acute incidence of PF in long bones following pediatric acute Hematogenous osteomyelitis (AHO).

Methods: This case series was conducted between 2011 and 2023 in a tertiary pediatric center. Patients with fracture incidence within the first 10 days after AHO diagnosis were included. Patients' characteristics were retrospectively reviewed. Our stepwise treatment plan was as follows: 1. Intravenous antibiotics until ESR<20, then oral to ESR<5 2. Debridement surgery was performed if abscesses were detected. 3. Fracture type determined initial fixation: external fixation or casting. 4. If the union was not obtained, internal fixation (with or without bone graft) was applied 5. Circular external fixation was applied if the union was not obtained or the leg length discrepancy occurred.

Results: Eight patients (6 boys) with a mean age of 32.1 ± 26.7 months and a follow-up time of 8.64 ± 1.95 years were included. The etiology in all patients was hematological Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Except for one patient who died of septic shock, all other patients (87.5%) reached complete recovery (average length of hospital stay of 19.9 days) and obtained union with an average union time of 14.6 months. A mean of 1.25 surgical procedures, ranging from 0 to 4, were required to obtain union.

Conclusion: The outcome of the stepwise plan in this study suggests that acute PF following AHO in pediatrics can be managed effectively with favorable clinical and functional outcomes in the mid- and long-term.

Keywords: Acute fracture; MRSA; Osteomyelitis; Pathologic fracture; Pediatric.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: Study procedures were approved by the Children's Medical Center-Tehran University of Medical Sciences research ethics committee (IR.TUMS.CHMC.REC.1400.129). Written informed consent to participate in this study was obtained from patients. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Stepwise treatment plan to manage acute Pathologic fracture in acute hematogenous osteomyelitis
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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