Routine bacterial culture of proximal bone specimens during minor amputation in patients with diabetes-related foot infections has little clinical utility in predicting re-operation or ulcer healing.

There was a moderate-high degree of concordance between superficial wound swab results and intra-operative bone sample microbiology in this patient cohort. Discordance was not associated with adverse outcomes. These results suggest there is little clinical utility in routinely collecting proximal bone as an adjunct to routine wound swabs for culture during minor amputation for an infected DFU.