Plate osteosynthesis for one-stage definite treatment of Gustilo type Ⅲ open fractures of long bone / 中华创伤骨科杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To report our efficacy of one-stage definite treatment of Gustilo type Ⅲ open fractures of long bone by plate osteosynthesis.Methods A retrospective case series study was conducted of the 69 cases who had undergone plate osteosynthesis for one-stage definite treatment of Gustilo type Ⅲ open fractures of long bone from January 2006 to June 2016 at Microsurgery and War Trauma Center of Chengdu Military Command,59 Hospital of Chinese PLA.They were 47 males and 22 females with an average age of 34.2 years (from 2 to 62 years).There were 27 shaft fractures of tibia or fibula (13 cases of type ⅢA,12 cases of type Ⅲ B and 2 cases of type Ⅲ C),4 fractures of distal tibia (2 cases of type Ⅲ A and 2 cases of type ⅢB),14 shaft fractures of ulna or radius (9 cases of type ⅢA,3 cases of type ⅢB and 2 cases of type Ⅲ C),12 factures of humeral shaft (7 cases of type Ⅲ A,3 cases of type Ⅲ B and 3 cases of type Ⅲ C),3 fractures of distal humerus (all type ⅢC),6 fractures of femoral shaft (5 cases of type ⅢA and one type Ⅲ C),and 3 fractures of distal femur (2 cases of type ⅢA and one type ⅢC).The intervals between injury and operation ranged from 4 to 17 hours,averaging 9.6 hours.After thorough debridement,osteosynthesis was performed with locking compression plate,limited contact dynamic compression plate or/and reconstruction locking plate,or 1/3 tubular plate.Direct closure with decreased tension or without tension was used for type Ⅲ A injury;deep open defects were repaired with perforator flaps,neurovascular axis flaps,traditional axis flaps and muscular flaps,or local flaps;limb reconstructions included neurovascular repair in 12 cases,tendon and ligament repair in 5 cases,and muscle reconstruction in 3 cases.Superficial defects were covered by skin grafts simultaneously or secondarily.Results The duration of hospitalization averaged 19 days (from 5 to 37 days).Partial necrosis occurred in one case of sural neurovascular axis flap.Superficial infection with multiple antibiotic-resistant bacteria occurred in 2 cases.Follow-up for the 69 patients ranged from 12 to 27 months (average,19.2 months).No deep bone infection occurred.Implant breaking occurred in 4 cases and implant loosening in one.The implant failures were corrected by change into intramedullary nails or plate refixation (respectively in 2 cases) in addition to bone graft.Bone union was achieved after 5 to 15 months (average,7.7 month)with satisfactory aesthetic and functional outcomes.Conclusion For patients with Gustilo type Ⅲ open fracture of long bone,especially those with metaphyseal,intraarticular or upper limb fracture and pediatric ones,plate osteosynthesis can be a satisfactory one-stage definite treatment besides intramedullar nailing and external fixation,providing that through debridement and satisfactory soft-tissue coverage can be achieved.