External Fixator or Antibiotic-coated Plate in Severe Open Long Bone Fractures

Use of Antibiotics-cement Coated Plate in the Treatment of Gustilo-Anderson Type III Long Bone Fractures in Low- and Middle-income Countries vs External Fixation: A Multi-centre Randomized Control Trial

The purpose of the study is to assess whether infection rate is reduced with use of antibiotic-coated plate in severe open tibial fractures compare to use of external fixators

Inclusion Criteria:

• Age ≥ 18yrs,
• Gustilo-Anderson IIIA and IIIB open fractures,
• involvement of any long bone fractures that can be fixed with either plate or uniplanar external fixation,
• wound can be closed primarily, with skin graft or flap, or can heal secondarily

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients with traumatic brain injury,

• spinal cord injury,

• severe burns,

  • 1 long bone fractures,

• refusal to consent,

• history of allergies to ceftriaxone or sulbactam,

• fractures associated with vascular injury

• and non-compliance with follow-up.