Abstract
Given the frequent utilization of devices and implants to provide stability and/or correct deformity, infections complicating orthopedic surgery in children can present management challenges. In these cases it is necessary to ensure both the eradication of infection and the successful healing of the initial orthopedic intervention. This requires a balance between thorough debridement of infected tissue and avoidance of unnecessary surgical procedures and attendant complications. Furthermore, in the skeletally immature child, consideration must be given to ensuring continued optimal growth. Such infections are best managed through a multidisciplinary approach including the orthopedic surgeon, infectious disease specialist, and generalist guided by laboratory data, clinical assessment, and risks/benefits of implant removal.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Tzong KY, Han S, Roh A, Ing C. Epidemiology of pediatric surgical admissions in US children: data from the HCUP kids inpatient database. J Neurosurg Anesthesiol. 2012;24(4):391–5.
Ciofi Degli Atti ML, Serino L, Piga S, Tozzi AE, Raponi M. Incidence of surgical site infections in children: active surveillance in an Italian academic children’s hospital. Ann Ig. 2017;29(1):46–53.
Bachy M, Bouyer B, Vialle R. Infections after spinal correction and fusion for spinal deformities in childhood and adolescence. Int Orthop. 2012;36(2):465–9.
Aleissa S, Parsons D, Grant J, Harder J, Howard J. Deep wound infection following pediatric scoliosis surgery: incidence and analysis of risk factors. Can J Surg. 2011;54(4):263–9.
Sponseller PD, Jain A, Shah SA, Samdani A, Yaszay B, Newton PO, et al. Deep wound infections after spinal fusion in children with cerebral palsy: a prospective cohort study. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2013;38(23):2023–7.
Subramanyam R, Schaffzin J, Cudilo EM, Rao MB, Varughese AM. Systematic review of risk factors for surgical site infection in pediatric scoliosis surgery. Spine J. 2015;15(6):1422–31.
Smith JS, Shaffrey CI, Sansur CA, Berven SH, Fu KM, Broadstone PA, et al. Rates of infection after spine surgery based on 108,419 procedures: a report from the Scoliosis Research Society Morbidity and Mortality Committee. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2011;36(7):556–63.
Milstone AM, Maragakis LL, Townsend T, Speck K, Sponseller P, Song X, et al. Timing of preoperative antibiotic prophylaxis: a modifiable risk factor for deep surgical site infections after pediatric spinal fusion. Pediatr Infect Dis J. 2008;27(8):704–8.
Linam WM, Margolis PA, Staat MA, Britto MT, Hornung R, Cassedy A, et al. Risk factors associated with surgical site infection after pediatric posterior spinal fusion procedure. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2009;30(2):109–16.
Mackenzie WG, Matsumoto H, Williams BA, Corona J, Lee C, Cody SR, et al. Surgical site infection following spinal instrumentation for scoliosis: a multicenter analysis of rates, risk factors, and pathogens. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2013;95(9):800–6. S801-802
Kowalski TJ, Berbari EF, Huddleston PM, Steckelberg JM, Mandrekar JN, Osmon DR. The management and outcome of spinal implant infections: contemporary retrospective cohort study. Clin Infect Dis. 2007;44(7):913–20.
Ho C, Skaggs DL, Weiss JM, Tolo VT. Management of infection after instrumented posterior spine fusion in pediatric scoliosis. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2007;32(24):2739–44.
Hedequist D, Haugen A, Hresko T, Emans J. Failure of attempted implant retention in spinal deformity delayed surgical site infections. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2009;34(1):60–4.
Khoshbin A, Lysenko M, Law P, Wright JG. Outcomes of infection following pediatric spinal fusion. Can J Surg. 2015;58(2):107–13.
Glotzbecker MP, Gomez JA, Miller PE, Troy MJ, Skaggs DL, Vitale MG, et al. Management of spinal implants in acute pediatric surgical site infections: a multicenter study. Spine Deform. 2016;4(4):277–82.
Muschik M, Luck W, Schlenzka D. Implant removal for late-developing infection after instrumented posterior spinal fusion for scoliosis: reinstrumentation reduces loss of correction. A retrospective analysis of 45 cases. Eur Spine J. 2004;13(7):645–51.
Clark CE, Shufflebarger HL. Late-developing infection in instrumented idiopathic scoliosis. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 1999;24(18):1909–12.
Maesani M, Doit C, Lorrot M, Vitoux C, Hilly J, Michelet D, et al. Surgical site infections in pediatric spine surgery: comparative microbiology of patients with idiopathic and nonidiopathic etiologies of spine deformity. Pediatr Infect Dis J. 2016;35(1):66–70.
Master DL, Poe-Kochert C, Son-Hing J, Armstrong DG, Thompson GH. Wound infections after surgery for neuromuscular scoliosis: risk factors and treatment outcomes. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2011;36(3):E179–85.
Labbe AC, Demers AM, Rodrigues R, Arlet V, Tanguay K, Moore DL. Surgical-site infection following spinal fusion: a case-control study in a children's hospital. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2003;24(8):591–5.
Messina AF, Berman DM, Ghazarian SR, Patel R, Neustadt J, Hahn G, et al. The management and outcome of spinal implant-related infections in pediatric patients: a retrospective review. Pediatr Infect Dis J. 2014;33(7):720–3.
Cahill PJ, Warnick DE, Lee MJ, Gaughan J, Vogel LE, Hammerberg KW, et al. Infection after spinal fusion for pediatric spinal deformity: thirty years of experience at a single institution. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2010;35(12):1211–7.
LaGreca J, Hotchkiss M, Carry P, Messacar K, Nyquist AC, Erickson M, et al. Bacteriology and risk factors for development of late (greater than one year) deep infection following spinal fusion with instrumentation. Spine Deform. 2014;2(3):186–90.
Petrini B, Welin-Berger T, Nord CE. Anaerobic bacteria in late infections following orthopedic surgery. Med Microbiol Immunol. 1979;167(3):155–9.
Hahn F, Zbinden R, Min K. Late implant infections caused by Propionibacterium acnes in scoliosis surgery. Eur Spine J. 2005;14(8):783–8.
Di Silvestre M, Bakaloudis G, Lolli F, Giacomini S. Late-developing infection following posterior fusion for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. Eur Spine J. 2011;20(Suppl 1):S121–7.
Rihn JA, Lee JY, Ward WT. Infection after the surgical treatment of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: evaluation of the diagnosis, treatment, and impact on clinical outcomes. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2008;33(3):289–94.
Collins I, Wilson-MacDonald J, Chami G, Burgoyne W, Vineyakam P, Berendt T, et al. The diagnosis and management of infection following instrumented spinal fusion. Eur Spine J. 2008;17(3):445–50.
Sponseller PD, LaPorte DM, Hungerford MW, Eck K, Bridwell KH, Lenke LG. Deep wound infections after neuromuscular scoliosis surgery: a multicenter study of risk factors and treatment outcomes. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2000;25(19):2461–6.
Bereza P, Ekiel A, Augusciak-Duma A, Aptekorz M, Wilk I, Kusz D, et al. Comparison of cultures and 16S rRNA sequencing for identification of bacteria in two-stage revision arthroplasties: preliminary report. BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2016;17:138.
Bereza PL, Ekiel A, Augusciak-Duma A, Aptekorz M, Wilk I, Kusz DJ, et al. Identification of silent prosthetic joint infection: preliminary report of a prospective controlled study. Int Orthop. 2013;37(10):2037–43.
Bjerkan G, Witso E, Nor A, Viset T, Loseth K, Lydersen S, et al. A comprehensive microbiological evaluation of fifty-four patients undergoing revision surgery due to prosthetic joint loosening. J Med Microbiol. 2012;61(Pt 4):572–81.
Rathjen K, Wood M, McClung A, Vest Z. Clinical and radiographic results after implant removal in idiopathic scoliosis. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2007;32(20):2184–8.
Richards BS. Delayed infections following posterior spinal instrumentation for the treatment of idiopathic scoliosis. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 1995;77(4):524–9.
Viola RW, King HA, Adler SM, Wilson CB. Delayed infection after elective spinal instrumentation and fusion. A retrospective analysis of eight cases. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 1997;22(20):2444–50; discussion 2450–1
Canavese F, Marengo L, Corradin M, Mansour M, Samba A, Andreacchio A, et al. Deep postoperative spine infection treated by negative pressure therapy in patients with progressive spinal deformities. Arch Orthop Trauma Surg. 2018;138(4):463–9.
Kale M, Padalkar P, Mehta V. Vacuum-assisted closure in patients with post-operative infections after instrumented spine surgery: a series of 12 cases. J Orthop Case Rep. 2017;7(1):95–100.
Rohmiller MT, Akbarnia BA, Raiszadeh K, Raiszadeh K, Canale S. Closed suction irrigation for the treatment of postoperative wound infections following posterior spinal fusion and instrumentation. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2010;35(6):642–6.
Masuda S, Fujibayashi S, Otsuki B, Kimura H, Matsuda S. Efficacy of target drug delivery and dead space reduction using antibiotic-loaded bone cement for the treatment of complex spinal infection. Clin Spine Surg. 2017;30(9):E1246–50.
Osmon DR, Berbari EF, Berendt AR, Lew D, Zimmerli W, Steckelberg JM, et al. Diagnosis and management of prosthetic joint infection: clinical practice guidelines by the Infectious Diseases Society of America. Clin Infect Dis. 2013;56(1):e1–e25.
Keller SC, Cosgrove SE, Higgins Y, Piggott DA, Osgood G, Auwaerter PG. Role of suppressive oral antibiotics in orthopedic hardware infections for those not undergoing two-stage replacement surgery. Open Forum Infect Dis. 2016;3(4):ofw176.
Byren I, Bejon P, Atkins BL, Angus B, Masters S, McLardy-Smith P, et al. One hundred and twelve infected arthroplasties treated with ‘DAIR’ (debridement, antibiotics and implant retention): antibiotic duration and outcome. J Antimicrob Chemother. 2009;63(6):1264–71.
Jorgensen NP, Skovdal SM, Meyer RL, Dagnaes-Hansen F, Fuursted K, Petersen E. Rifampicin-containing combinations are superior to combinations of vancomycin, linezolid and daptomycin against Staphylococcus aureus biofilm infection in vivo and in vitro. Pathog Dis. 2016;74(4):ftw019.
Zimmerli W, Widmer AF, Blatter M, Frei R, Ochsner PE. Role of rifampin for treatment of orthopedic implant-related staphylococcal infections: a randomized controlled trial. Foreign-Body Infection (FBI) Study Group. JAMA. 1998;279(19):1537–41.
Lora-Tamayo J, Senneville E, Ribera A, Bernard L, Dupon M, Zeller V, et al. The not-so-good prognosis of streptococcal periprosthetic joint infection managed by implant retention: the results of a large multicenter study. Clin Infect Dis. 2017;64(12):1742–52.
Martinez-Pastor JC, Munoz-Mahamud E, Vilchez F, Garcia-Ramiro S, Bori G, Sierra J, et al. Outcome of acute prosthetic joint infections due to gram-negative bacilli treated with open debridement and retention of the prosthesis. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2009;53(11):4772–7.
Rodriguez-Pardo D, Pigrau C, Lora-Tamayo J, Soriano A, del Toro MD, Cobo J, et al. Gram-negative prosthetic joint infection: outcome of a debridement, antibiotics and implant retention approach. A large multicentre study. Clin Microbiol Infect. 2014;20(11):O911–9.
Vitale MG, Riedel MD, Glotzbecker MP, Matsumoto H, Roye DP, Akbarnia BA, et al. Building consensus: development of a Best Practice Guideline (BPG) for surgical site infection (SSI) prevention in high-risk pediatric spine surgery. J Pediatr Orthop. 2013;33(5):471–8.
Kang DG, Holekamp TF, Wagner SC, Lehman RA Jr. Intrasite vancomycin powder for the prevention of surgical site infection in spine surgery: a systematic literature review. Spine J. 2015;15(4):762–70.
Gans I, Dormans JP, Spiegel DA, Flynn JM, Sankar WN, Campbell RM, et al. Adjunctive vancomycin powder in pediatric spine surgery is safe. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2013;38(19):1703–7.
Ghobrial GM, Thakkar V, Andrews E, Lang M, Chitale A, Oppenlander ME, et al. Intraoperative vancomycin use in spinal surgery: single institution experience and microbial trends. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2014;39(7):550–5.
Glotzbecker MP, Riedel MD, Vitale MG, Matsumoto H, Roye DP, Erickson M, et al. What’s the evidence? Systematic literature review of risk factors and preventive strategies for surgical site infection following pediatric spine surgery. J Pediatr Orthop. 2013;33(5):479–87.
Rehman A, Rehman AU, Rehman TU, Freeman C. Removing outer gloves as a method to reduce spinal surgery infection. J Spinal Disord Tech. 2015;28(6):E343–6.
Soultanis KC, Pyrovolou N, Zahos KA, Karaliotas GI, Lenti A, Liveris I, et al. Late postoperative infection following spinal instrumentation: stainless steel versus titanium implants. J Surg Orthop Adv. 2008;17(3):193–9.
Glotzbecker MP, St Hilaire TA, Pawelek JB, Thompson GH, Vitale MG, Children’s Spine Study G, et al. Best practice guidelines for surgical site infection prevention with surgical treatment of early onset scoliosis. J Pediatr Orthop. 2017 [epub ahead of print].
Gustilo RB, Anderson JT. Prevention of infection in the treatment of one thousand and twenty-five open fractures of long bones: retrospective and prospective analyses. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 1976;58(4):453–8.
Patzakis MJ, Wilkins J. Factors influencing infection rate in open fracture wounds. Clin Orthop Relat Res. 1989;243:36–40.
Kelly BA, Shore BJ, Bae DS, Hedequist DJ, Glotzbecker MP. Pediatric forearm fractures with in situ intramedullary implants. J Child Orthop. 2016;10(4):321–7.
Combs K, Frick S, Kiebzak G. Multicenter study of pin site infections and skin complications following pinning of pediatric supracondylar Humerus fractures. Cureus. 2016;8(12):e911.
Bashyal RK, Chu JY, Schoenecker PL, Dobbs MB, Luhmann SJ, Gordon JE. Complications after pinning of supracondylar distal humerus fractures. J Pediatr Orthop. 2009;29(7):704–8.
Lascombes P, Haumont T, Journeau P. Use and abuse of flexible intramedullary nailing in children and adolescents. J Pediatr Orthop. 2006;26(6):827–34.
Kruppa C, Bunge P, Schildhauer TA, Dudda M. Low complication rate of elastic stable intramedullary nailing (ESIN) of pediatric forearm fractures: a retrospective study of 202 cases. Medicine (Baltimore). 2017;96(16):e6669.
Birke O, Davies N, Latimer M, Little DG, Bellemore M. Experience with the Fassier-Duval telescopic rod: first 24 consecutive cases with a minimum of 1-year follow-up. J Pediatr Orthop. 2011;31(4):458–64.
Gordon JE, Kelly-Hahn J, Carpenter CJ, Schoenecker PL. Pin site care during external fixation in children: results of a nihilistic approach. J Pediatr Orthop. 2000;20(2):163–5.
Paley D. Problems, obstacles, and complications of limb lengthening by the Ilizarov technique. Clin Orthop Relat Res. 1990;250:81–104.
Tosti R, Foroohar A, Pizzutillo PD, Herman MJ. Kirschner wire infections in pediatric orthopaedic surgery. J Pediatr Orthop. 2015;35(1):69–73.
Schalamon J, Petnehazy T, Ainoedhofer H, Zwick EB, Singer G, Hoellwarth ME. Pin tract infection with external fixation of pediatric fractures. J Pediatr Surg. 2007;42(9):1584–7.
Shabtai L, Dolkart O, Chechik O, Amar E, Steinberg E, Mozes G, et al. Incidence and severity of infections after closed reduction and external fixation of proximal humeral fractures. J Orthop Trauma. 2013;27(4):e81–6.
Mahan J, Seligson D, Henry SL, Hynes P, Dobbins J. Factors in pin tract infections. Orthopedics. 1991;14(3):305–8.
Desai A, Dramis A, Thompson N, Board T, Choudhary A. Discharging pin sites following K-wire fixation of distal radial fractures: a case for pin removal? Acta Orthop Belg. 2009;75(3):310–5.
Kazmers NH, Fragomen AT, Rozbruch SR. Prevention of pin site infection in external fixation: a review of the literature. Strategies Trauma Limb Reconstr. 2016;11(2):75–85.
Lethaby A, Temple J, Santy J. Pin site care for preventing infections associated with external bone fixators and pins. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2008;(4):CD004551.
Lethaby A, Temple J, Santy-Tomlinson J. Pin site care for preventing infections associated with external bone fixators and pins. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2013;(12):CD004551.
W-Dahl A, Toksvig-Larsen S. Pin site care in external fixation sodium chloride or chlorhexidine solution as a cleansing agent. Arch Orthop Trauma Surg. 2004;124(8):555–8.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2019 Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Stinson, Z., Rosenfeld, S., McNeil, J.C. (2019). Infections Complicating Orthopedic Surgery and Implants. In: McNeil, J., Campbell, J., Crews, J. (eds) Healthcare-Associated Infections in Children. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-98122-2_9
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-98122-2_9
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-98121-5
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-98122-2
eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)