Risk factors for surgical site infection after closed proximal humerus fractures

Proximal humerus fractures are common in clinical practice, and there are relatively a few studies on postoperative incision infections of such fractures. The purpose of this study was to explore the risk factors for surgical site infection (SSI) after internal fixation in patients with closed proximal humerus fractures. Patients with closed proximal humerus fractures who underwent surgery from January 2016 to January 2022 were retrospectively analysed. Cases with superficial or deep infections within 3 months after surgery were in the infection group and the remaining cases were in the non-infection group. The types of pathogenic bacteria in the infection group were analysed. The potential risk factors for SSI in all patients were recorded: (1) patient-related factors: gender, age, body mass index (BMI), smoking, comorbidities; (2) trauma-related factors: mechanism of injury, Injury Severity Score, visual analogue scale, fracture type, soft tissue condition and combined dislocation; (3) laboratory-related indexes: haemoglobin, albumin; (4) surgery-related factors: time from injury to surgery, American Society of Anesthesiologists anaesthesia classification, surgical time, fixation mode, intraoperative blood loss, suture method, bone graft and postoperative drainage. The risk factors for the occurrence of SSI were analysed using univariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression. The incidence of SSI was 15.7%. The most common bacterium in the infection group was Staphylococcus aureus. High BMI (p = 0.033), smoking (p = 0.030), an increase in mean time from injury to definitive surgery (p = 0.013), and prolonged surgical time (p = 0.044) were independent risk factors for the development of SSI after closed proximal humeral fractures. In patients with closed proximal humerus fractures, weight loss, perioperative smoking cessation, avoidance of delayed surgery, and shorter surgical time may be beneficial in reducing the incidence of SSI.