ABSTRACT
Objective To investigate the clinical characteristics,treatment methods,and clinical outcomes of open injury of foot and ankle in children.Methods From February 2004 to June 2010,35 children with open injury of foot and ankle were treated,including 22 males and 13 females,aged from 3 years to 14 years (average,8.4 years).Twenty-eight cases resulted from traffic accidents; 7 cases occurred from sharp instruments and machine-related crush injuries.Thirty cases were associated with bone fractures,and according to the Gustilo classification of open fractures,five cases were Type Ⅰ injuries,eight cases were Type Ⅱ injuries and 22 cases were Type Ⅲ.Twenty three cases (type Ⅰ,type Ⅱ and type Ⅲ) underwent surgical debridement and/or internal fixation with skin flap grafting.Twelve type Ⅲ cases underwent debridement,temporary Kirschner wire or plaster fixation and VSD in the first stage of treatment.In the second stage of treatment,fracture reduction and internal fixation (with or without bone graft) + skin flap grafting was performed in all 12 cases.Results Thirty patients (85.7％) were followed-up for an average of 38.7months (range,6-89 months).Skin grafting was performed in two Type Ⅱ cases that developed necrosis in parts of the wound.Wound healing time was an average of 8.3 weeks (range,3-15 weeks).One Type Ⅲ case suffered chronic osteomyelitis with the formation of a sinus tract.Two cases suffered from club foot ab normalities 3 years postoperatively.All three patients above mentioned healed after treatment.In 12 type Ⅲpatients with staged treatment,the flap survived,and its color and elasticity were good.Healing time ranged from 3 to 8 weeks (average,6.8 weeks).According to the Maryland standard,17 cases were excellent,9good,3 fair,and 1 bad; the excellent and good rate was 86.7％.Conclusion Traffic accidents are the major causes of open foot and ankle trauma in children.A good surgical outcome can be achieved when patients receive staged treatment that is appropriate to injury severity.