Custom-Made Antibiotic Cement Nails in Orthopaedic Trauma: Review of Outcomes, New Approaches, and Perspectives
Table 2
The benefits and drawbacks of antibiotic cement nails.
Benefits
Drawbacks
High concentration of local antibiotic elution: up to 200 times greater than with systemic drug administration, independent of vascular supply [21] Stability to the fracture/nonunion site, allowing for early weight bearing [23] Local antibiotic delivery independent of patient compliance [23] Systemic toxicity of antibiotics very rarely observed [8] Versatility of modifying antibiotic as per the culture report [27] Control of infection and stability is achieved with a single procedure [44] Alternative for patients refusing or not being right candidates for external fixation [13]
Local antibiotic carriers have never been shown to be superior to intravenous administration of antibiotics in terms of cure rate [21] Require repeat surgery [23] Possible emergence of resistance [13] Possible MMA toxicity [102, 103]