Despite progress in antibiotics, aseptic techniques, and perioperative antimicrobial therapy, post-operative infections remain a common complication of osteosynthesis, causing delayed fracture healing, osteomyelitis, implant loosening, and functional impairment. Osteosynthesis implants are widely used in veterinary medicine, yet the factors influencing microbial colonization remain poorly understood. This study aimed to evaluate the incidence of microbial colonization on implants in small animals and identify potential contributing factors. Seventy-one explants from sixty-five patients were analyzed, with correlations assessed between microbial colonization, patient characteristics, disease progression, radiographic findings, and surgical variables. Factors such as body weight, age, implant type and location, additional injuries (e.g., pulmonary lesions), the surgeon’s experience, and the number of personnel present during surgery appeared to influence infection development. Osteolytic changes were observed in 60% of cases, and 73.3% of animals with impaired mobility had infected implants. Although microorganisms were detected in nearly 50% of explants, clinically significant infection occurred in only five animals (7.3%), indicating that the mere presence of microorganisms does not always result in treatment complications. These findings provide important insights into the multifactorial nature of post-operative implant infections in veterinary patients.
