Copyright: ©Author(s) 2026. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license. No commercial re-use. See permissions. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc.
World J Transl Med. Jul 28, 2026; 12(2): 122418
Published online Jul 28, 2026. doi: 10.5528/wjtm.122418
Published online Jul 28, 2026. doi: 10.5528/wjtm.122418
Management of distal humerus fracture-related infections after fixation: A retrospective study
Giuseppe Bardellini, Domenico Rodà, Biagio Abate, Andrea Celli, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Shoulder and Elbow Unit, Hesperia Hospital, Modena 41124, Emilia-Romagna, Italy
Co-corresponding authors: Giuseppe Bardellini and Andrea Celli
Author contributions: Bardellini G and Celli A contributed to study design, conceptualization, interpretation of findings and drafting of the manuscript, and they contributed equally to this manuscript and are co-corresponding authors; Rodà D and Abate B contributed to data collection and curation, statistical analysis and data validation. All authors critical revision of the manuscript, approval of the final version, and agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work.
AI contribution statement: No AI tool was involved in the generation of research data, interpretation of results, or formulation of conclusions.
Institutional review board statement: The study was approved by the Institutional Review Board Garofalo Health Care (Approval No. 0028GHCIRB) and carried out in accordance with the ethical standards of the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki as updated in 2004.
Informed consent statement: Informed consent was obtained from all subjects involved in the study.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Data sharing statement: sharing statement: Dataset available on request from the authors.
Corresponding author: Giuseppe Bardellini, MD, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Shoulder and Elbow Unit, Hesperia Hospital, Via Arquà 80/A, Modena 41124, Emilia-Romagna, Italy.
Received: April 20, 2026
Revised: June 7, 2026
Accepted: June 18, 2026
Published online: July 28, 2026
Processing time: 102 Days and 15.2 Hours
Revised: June 7, 2026
Accepted: June 18, 2026
Published online: July 28, 2026
Processing time: 102 Days and 15.2 Hours
Core Tip
Core Tip: This study evaluates the management of distal humerus fracture-related infections in 43 patients, highlighting the effectiveness of tailored surgical and antibiotic strategies. Our results demonstrate that debridement, antibiotics, and implant retention is highly successful for early and delayed infections. For late infections or unhealed cases, we found that implant removal and suppressive therapy are effective alternatives. Based on these findings, we propose a clinical decision-making algorithm centered on fracture healing status and infection timing to guide surgeons in achieving both infection eradication and bone union.