Investigating the risks and outcomes of surgery for fracture-related infection and bone infection after fracture fixation

Data-sharing agreement from NHS England Data Uses Register. Evidence status: source reported.

Organisation: UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD
Published: 2026-11-06
Source reference: DARS-NIC-800347-F4P5X-v1.3
Jurisdiction: England
Licence: Open Government Licence v3.0, subject to NHS England terms and exclusions

Register reference: DARS-NIC-800347-F4P5X-v1.3
Applicant type: Academic
Data controllers: UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD
Agreement period: 2026-11-06 to 2029-07-09
For commercial purposes (as marked in the register): No
Release files listed by NHS England: 0

Data approved

Civil Registrations of Death
Hospital Episode Statistics Admitted Patient Care (HES APC)

Objective, as published

The Data will be used for the purpose of a research project: Investigating the risks and outcomes of surgery for fracture-related infection and bone infection after fracture fixation The project investigates the incidence, risk factors, healthcare utilisation, and outcomes associated with fracture-related infection (FRI) and osteomyelitis (OM) managed within the NHS in England. FRI and osteomyelitis are serious musculoskeletal infections associated with repeated surgery, prolonged hospitalisation, long-term antibiotic treatment, disability, reduced quality of life, and substantial NHS cost. Despite their clinical importance, there is limited national-level evidence quantifying; 1. The population incidence of surgically managed FRI and osteomyelitis 2. Patient characteristics associated with increased risk 3. Patterns of reoperation and healthcare utilisation 4. Variation in management and outcomes across NHS providers This study directly addresses priorities identified through the James Lind Alliance (JLA) Priority Setting Partnership for complex fractures. In particular, it contributes evidence toward answering two nationally identified unanswered questions: 1.What is the best way to reduce the risk of infection after complex fractures? 2. Is it possible to determine which patients will develop complications and poor long-term outcomes after complex fractures?

Expected benefits, as published

The expected measurable benefits of this project relate directly to improved patient care, more equitable service provision, and better-informed commissioning within the NHS. In the short term (0–3 years), the study will provide reliable national estimates of the cumulative incidence and timing of fracture-related infection (FRI) requiring surgery following fracture fixation. These estimates will enable clinicians to provide evidence-based risk information during patient counselling and consent discussions. Identification of high-risk demographic and clinical groups will support more targeted surveillance and follow-up strategies, potentially reducing delays in diagnosis and treatment of infection. At a service level, quantification of regional and provider-level variation in reoperation…

Source: https://digital.nhs.uk/services/data-access-request-service-dars/data-uses-register. Captured 2026-11-05.

Limitations: Data-sharing agreement as published in NHS England's Data Uses Register. An agreement permits access; actual data releases are listed separately. Expected and yielded benefits are as reported by the applicant and have not been independently verified. Long text fields can be cut off in NHS England's spreadsheet export at Excel's 32,767-character cell limit.