Table 2 Retention and removal criteria

Retention criteria

●Remove the infected lesion completely

●Internal fixation does not fail after debridement

●The tight fit between the plate and the bone surface or the presence of voids can be eliminated

●Soft tissue coverage with good vascularization

●Autologous iliac bone is able to adequately fill the dead space

●Local application of sustained drug release

●A sufficient course of antibiotics should be administered systemically

Removal criteria

●Internal fixation fails after debridement

●Existence of large void between the plate and the bone surface

●Traumatic osteomyelitis with a course of more than 2 months with partial or complete healing of the fracture

●Extensive and severe infection

●Intramedullary fixation