ABSTRACT
Objective To study the clinical efficacy of two-stage bone transport combined with induced membrane technique in the treatment of post-traumatic tibial osteomyelitis.Methods A retrospective study was conducted of the 14 patients with post-traumatic tibial osteomyelitis who had been treated by two-stage bone transport combined with induced membrane technique from February 2009 to August 2015.They were 12 males and 2 females,aged from 26 to 59 years (average,40.4 years).By the Cierny & Mader classification,they all belonged to type Ⅳ.Their disease course ranged from 6 to 30 months,averaging 15.3 months.The number of their previous operations ranged from 2 to 6 times,averaging 3.3 times.In the first stage of operation,tibial extended external fixation was installed according to preoperative design,followed by early debridement and extensive removal of osteomyelitis lesion.The length of bone defect after resection of osteomyelitis lesion was from 4 to 18 cm (average,8.5 cm).10％ vancomycin-contained polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) bone cement was molded and placed in the bone defects.In the second stage of operation,the PMMA-induced membrane was opened to remove the PMMA bone cement,the bone marrow was drilled through and the induced membrane was then sutured up.Tibial osteotomy was conducted at an appropriate part.The average interval between the first and second stages was from 4 to 7 weeks (average,4.8 weeks).The clinical efficacy was evaluated according to the Paley criteria at final follow-ups.Complications were recorded.Results All the patients were followed up for 15 to 50 months (17.5 months).No relapse of osteomyelitis occurred.The total treatment time ranged from 11 to 19 months,with an average of 14.7 months.The total time for external fixation was from 10 to 18 months,averaging 13.2 months.The external fixator indexes ranged from 31 to 75 day/cm,with an average of 48.5 day/cm.According to Paley criteria at final follow-ups,the clinical efficacy was excellent in 11 and good in 3 cases.Pin tract infection occurred in 9 patients,mal-alignment after removal of external fixation in 6,and malunion or nonunion at the docking site in 5.Conclusions Two-stage bone transport combined with induced membrane technique can cure thoroughly post-traumatic tibial osteomyelitis.Its operation procedures are simple but effective.