{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,24]],"date-time":"2026-06-24T12:24:00Z","timestamp":1782303840054,"version":"3.54.5"},"reference-count":34,"publisher":"SAGE Publications","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,3,7]],"date-time":"2024-03-07T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1709769600000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/page\/policies\/text-and-data-mining-license"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["journals.sagepub.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Foot &amp; Ankle Specialist"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,2]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>Pin tract infections are virtually universal complications with the use of external fixation. While most are superficial and respond to oral antibiotics and local care, septic loosening may occur at the bone\u2013pin interface, which may lead to instability of the fixator, catastrophic failure, fracture, and long-term osteomyelitis. Classification systems and prevention protocols have been developed to address this ubiquitous complication. Treatment of severe pin tract infections often requires debridement, parenteral antibiotics, and removal of the offending pin or the entire external fixator. In cases of osteomyelitic pin tracks, a sizable cavity is often present. We describe a simple technique for treatment of deep bone pin tract infection through the use of debridement, irrigation, and an antibiotic \u201csparkler,\u201d which is a specially prepared percutaneous implant of antibiotic laden bone cement.<\/jats:p>\n                  <jats:p>Levels of Evidence: Level 5<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1177\/19386400241235389","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,3,7]],"date-time":"2024-03-07T07:35:53Z","timestamp":1709796953000},"page":"53-57","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/sage-journals-update-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Treatment of External Fixator Pin Tract Deep Infections With an Antibiotic \u201cSparkler\u201d"],"prefix":"10.1177","volume":"19","author":[{"given":"Lee M.","family":"Hlad","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Ankle &amp; Foot Associates LLC, Waycross, Georgia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0006-1308-3249","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jacob N.","family":"Rizkalla","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Lake Cumberland Regional Hospital, Somerset, Kentucky"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0329-0069","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Eric","family":"So","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Capital Foot and Ankle, Lincoln, Nebraska"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"John E.","family":"Herzenberg","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Sinai Health System, Baltimore, Maryland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"179","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,3,7]]},"reference":[{"key":"e_1_3_2_2_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1097\/00003086-199001000-00011"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_3_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s11751-012-0139-2"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_4_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1302\/0301-620X.97B9.35626"},{"issue":"9","key":"e_1_3_2_5_2","first-page":"E150","article-title":"Pin-tract infection during limb lengthening using external fixation","volume":"37","author":"Antoci V","year":"2008","unstructured":"Antoci V, Ono CM, Antoci VJr, Raney EM. Pin-tract infection during limb lengthening using external fixation. Am J Orthop (Belle Mead NJ). 2008;37(9):E150-E154.","journal-title":"Am J Orthop (Belle Mead NJ)"},{"issue":"4","key":"e_1_3_2_6_2","first-page":"258","article-title":"Distraction osteogenesis in congenital limb length discrepancy: a review","volume":"41","author":"Maffulli N","year":"1996","unstructured":"Maffulli N, Fixsen JA. Distraction osteogenesis in congenital limb length discrepancy: a review. J R Coll Surg Edinb. 1996;41(4):258-264.","journal-title":"J R Coll Surg Edinb"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_7_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1097\/00005131-200308000-00005"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_8_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1097\/00006416-200509000-00011"},{"issue":"1","key":"e_1_3_2_9_2","first-page":"1","article-title":"Pin site care with the Ilizarov circular fixator","volume":"16","author":"Rose REC","year":"2010","unstructured":"Rose REC. Pin site care with the Ilizarov circular fixator. 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J Trauma. 2011;70(4):845-851.","journal-title":"J Trauma"},{"issue":"360","key":"e_1_3_2_25_2","first-page":"87","article-title":"Osteomyelitis debridement techniques","volume":"1999","author":"Tetsworth K","unstructured":"Tetsworth K, Cierny GIII. Osteomyelitis debridement techniques. Clin Orthop Relat Res. 1999(360):87-96.","journal-title":"Clin Orthop Relat Res"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_26_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2106\/00004623-200410000-00028"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_27_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3928\/01477447-20131219-04"},{"issue":"2","key":"e_1_3_2_28_2","first-page":"E49","article-title":"Antibiotic cement-coated plates for management of infected fractures","volume":"44","author":"Conway JD","year":"2015","unstructured":"Conway JD, Hlad LM, Bark SE. Antibiotic cement-coated plates for management of infected fractures. 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