ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:Bone cement containing antibiotics for repair of bone defects can achieve sustained release of a higher concentration of sensitive drugs, which wil help kil bacteria and provide the necessary bone grafting bed and space to reduce massive bleeding due to removal of the granulation at bone defects during the second phase. OBJECTIVE:To analyze the clinical efficacy of antibiotic bone cement combined with autologous bone transplantation and Ilizarov external fixator on tibial bone defects after traumatic osteomyelitis. METHODS:A total of 31 patients with tibial bone defects after chronic osteomyelitis, including 19 males and 12 females, aged 17-40 years old. After positive debridement of necrotic tissues at bone stump, Ilizarov external fixator was used for fracture fixation, and autogenous iliac bone grafting combined with bone cement containing antibiotics was performed to repair bone defects. Fracture healing time, knee and ankle scoring were fol owed up. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The 31 patients were fol owed up for 6 months to 3.5 years. Tibial fractures were healed without infection recurrence in al patients. The bony union time was 3-6 months, the fixation time was 3-6 months, and the limb extended length was (7.50±1.01) cm. No adverse reactions related to bone cement and bone graft occurred. At 3 months after bone grafting, the scores on the knee and ankle joints were improve significantly. These findings indicate that the antibiotic bone cement combined with autologous bone transplantation and Ilizarov external fixator for repair of post-osteomyelitis posterior tibial bone defects can control infection, promote fracture healing, and restore joint functions.