[Treatment of chronic osteomyelitis with gentamicin PMMA chains].

In the treatment of chronic osteomyelitis radical removal of sequestrated bone fragments is of essential importance. Any antibiotic therapy - whether systemically or locally applied - can only be a supplementary measure. By implantation of gentamicin-PMMA-chains into infected cavities high local concentrations of the antibiotic can be achieved which are far above the minimal bactericidal concentrations of most common pathogens. As result of the very low concentrations of gentamicin in the serum and urine there is no hazard of nephrotoxicity and ototoxicity. Chronic sequestrating osteosyntheses and infected non-unions are the most important indications for the application of gentamicin-PMMA-chains.