According to Scientific Paper 197, presented yesterday at the AAOS Annual Meeting, lower extremity fractures, Gustilo-Anderson type III fractures, and moderate-to-severe wound contamination may be associated with an increased risk of reoperation in patients with open fractures. 

The researchers reviewed data on 2,447 patients with open extremity fractures from the Fluid Lavage of Open Wounds (FLOW) study and found that 323 participants required reoperation. They noted that risk of reoperation was also greater in patients whose initial surgery was performed 6 hours or longer after injury. However, patients who received a surgical preparation solution in the emergency department and those who received an iodine-based preparation solution in the operating room were at reduced risk of reoperation. Learn more...