Posttraumatic infection and osteomyelitis is a difficult to treat complication. Despite surgical interventions, there is great risk for recurrence of the infection and development of an invalidating osteomyelitis. For this reason, a retrospective, case control cohort study on patients with posttraumatic osteomyelitis was performed to evaluate the clinical outcome of a new therapy, i.e. VAC Instillation with Lavasept®, an instillation technique applied after the initial surgical debridement.

In the time period from 2/1999 to 2/2003, thirty three patients with posttraumatic osteomyelitis were included and were treated with the VAC technique and the white polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) foam in combination with lavasept® instillation. The PVA foam was instilled 3 times per day with a disinfectant fluid agent lavasept 0.2 % (polyhexanidum solution). The average time of treatment was 21 days (6–60). The average time that infected wounds became sterile or skin bacteria could be cultured (88.1 %) was 12 days (range 4 – 38; SD 8.9). The follow-up time was up to 72 months. For comparison a historical control group of 94 patients (male 58, mean age 47 (r 9–85) matched for site and severity of osteomyelitis, was identified in hospital records for a period of 20 years (1982–2002). These patients were treated with debridement, lavage and gentamycin beads.

Both groups were statistical comparable to sex, age, comorbidity and site of the osteomyelitis. In the V.A.C.® Instill® group the rate of recurrence of infection was 3/30 (10%), whereas 55/93 (58.5%) of the controls had a recurrence (p< 0.0001). Moreover, in those treated with VAC Instillation, the duration of hospital stay was shorter and the number of admissions and surgical procedures were smaller as compared with the controls (all p< 0.0001).

We conclude that in posttraumatic osteomyelitis VAC Instillation treatment may improve clinical outcome and reduce the need for repeated surgical interventions and hospital admissions in comparison to the present standard approach.