This is a survey of the pharmacokinetics and mechanisms of action, orthopedic use, antimicrobial activity, and adverse reactions to erythromycin, lincomycin and clindamycin, tetracycline, chloramphenicol, polymyxins, vancomycin, and fosfomycin. Although these antibiotics are rarely preferred to more active drugs such as the beta-lactams or aminoglycosides in orthopedic sepsis, they are nevertheless highly beneficial and in some situations can be the first-choice drug.