title: [Clinical considerations on posttraumatic osteitis].
abstract: Posttraumatic bone infection very often signifies a life threatening complication. However, it must no longer be accepted that amputation of the afflicted limb be the logical treatment of such a complication. A surgeon who offers the advantages of operative treatment of a fracture to his patient must also be able to control its complications. Osteitis can be treated with a good chance of success. In our clinic 29 bone infections were treated, 13 of them healing without substantial restrictions, 7 with distinct discomfort and 4 with arthrodesis, i.e. 83% healed. However, the treatment may require months and may necessitate further operative interventions. The transfer of such a patient from an acute care hospital to a high altitude clinic offers -- besides the medical and psychological advantage of a continuous long-term treatment plan -- the climatic conditions of sun and high altitude air which apparently act very favorably on the healing process of chronic infections. Of course, the possibility of competent surgical interventions must exist. Thus, with proper therapy the disastrous chain of errors beginning mainly with poor initial care through insufficient treatment can be broken.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001174:Arthrodesis; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005593:Fracture Fixation, Internal; D050723:Fractures, Bone / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010000:Osteitis / Q000150:complications / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011542:Pseudarthrosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D011859:Radiography
vernacular_title: Klinischer Beitrag zur Frage der posttraumatischen Osteitis.