Management of Complex Orthopaedic Trauma and Bone Infection
A special issue of Journal of Clinical Medicine (ISSN 2077-0383). This special issue belongs to the section "Orthopedics".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2026 | Viewed by 277
Editor
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Complex orthopaedic trauma and bone infections represent two of the most challenging scenarios in musculoskeletal care, with profound implications for patient morbidity, healthcare utilization, and long-term functional outcomes. Despite advances in surgical techniques, fixation strategies, antimicrobial therapy, and reconstructive approaches, managing severe trauma patterns and associated infectious complications remains a critical unmet need in contemporary orthopaedics. These conditions often involve multifaceted interplay between soft tissue injury, fracture complexity, microbial biofilms, host immune response, and rehabilitation barriers, requiring multidisciplinary expertise and innovative clinical solutions.
This Special Issue of the Journal of Clinical Medicine aims to bring together cutting-edge research and clinical insights that address the full spectrum of complex orthopaedic trauma and bone infection management. We invite original articles and reviews that enhance understanding of diagnostic protocols, therapeutic decision-making, surgical and non-surgical interventions, prevention strategies, and outcomes assessment. Emphasis is placed on emerging technologies, evidence-based protocols, multidisciplinary care models, and strategies to mitigate complications such as nonunion, infection recurrence, implant failure, and long-term disability.
Key topics of interest include, but are not limited to:
- Advanced diagnostic modalities (imaging, molecular microbiology, biomarkers) for trauma and infection
- Innovative surgical techniques and fixation methods for complex fracture patterns
- Management of bone and implant-associated infections, including biofilm-targeted therapies and local antimicrobial delivery
- Host optimization, immunomodulation, and systemic treatmentsin infected and traumatized patients
- Reconstruction strategies after extensive bone loss and soft-tissue compromise
- Prevention and management of complications such as nonunion, malunion, chronic osteomyelitis, and sepsis
- Rehabilitation, functional recovery, and quality-of-life measuresfollowing major musculoskeletal injury
- Predictive models, artificial intelligence, and decision support for personalized care pathways
By integrating multidisciplinary contributions that span basic science, translational innovation, and clinical application, this Special Issue seeks to advance the state of knowledge in orthopaedic trauma and infection care, support evidence-based practice, and foster collaboration across surgical specialties, infectious disease disciplines, rehabilitation teams, and research networks.
We look forward to your valuable contributions and to sharing transformative research that will shape future standards of care for patients with complex orthopaedic trauma and bone infections.
Dr. Georg Mattiassich
Guest Editor
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Keywords
- complex orthopaedic trauma
- fracture-related infection (FRI)
- bone and implant-associated infection
- chronic osteomyelitis
- post-traumatic infection
- biofilm-associated infection
- advanced fracture management
- limb reconstruction
- nonunion and delayed union
- multidisciplinary trauma care
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