Pathology of Fracture-Related Infections

When fractures become infected with bacteria, the normal healing process within the bone is significantly impaired and replaced by fibrosis and osteolysis, which hampers successful treatment. Microscopically, the site of fracture infection is infiltrated by neutrophils, a cell type associated with acute inflammation, even though these infections are typically chronic or delayed in nature. This presentation will explore the mechanisms behind the formation of fibrosis and osteolysis, as well as the infiltration of neutrophils in fracture-related infections (FRIs), and how these three factors can be included in diagnostic assessments. Finally, the discussion will address why neutrophils fail to eliminate the bacteria of FRI.