ABSTRACT
Objective To report one stage treatment of chronic tibial defection in children. Methods 19 children with chronic tibial defection were treated in our department when their infection was at the stage of latency. First their focuses of infection were cleared away. Next a piece of fibula with vessel pedicles whose length was equal to that of the tibial defect was taken as the support to restore the length of the tibia. Then the external fixators were applied and a mixture of antibiotic and Lebone powder was used to fill the defect. Results In 15 cases the incision healed at one stage, slight infection occurred in 4 cases whose incisions healed after treatment of 3 to 4 weeks. Follow-ups of 0.5 to 1.5 years showed that no infection occurred again, bone defects healed well and limb function was satisfactory. Conclusion To treat chronic tibial defection in children at one stage, combined therapy should be applied. Grafting of fibula with vessel pedicles and Lebone under external fixators is a good one, because it can shorten the treatment time at no cost of satisfactory effects.