Treatment of infectious bone and soft tissue defects following tibial shaft fracture of Gustilo type Ⅲ B using free flap and Ilizarov bone transport / 中华创伤骨科杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To report treatment of infectious bone and soft tissue defects caused by tibial shaft fracture of Gustilo type Ⅲ B using free flap and Ilizarov bone transport.Methods Nineteen patients who had suffered from infectious bone and soft tissue defects following tibial shaft fracture of Gustilo type Ⅲ11 B were treated from May 2010 to February 2015.They were 15 men and 4 women,aged from 21 to 58 years (average,45.3 years).Their course of disease ranged from 16 to 21 months,averaging 17.9 months.The area of their infectious defects ranged from 10 cm × 6 cm to 21 cm × 12 cm,and the length of their bone defects from 5 to 11 cm (average,7.4 cm).They were treated with debridement,simple external fixation to reconstruct bony support,coverage of wounds with free flap,and stuffing the dead space with antibiotic concrete beads,followed by Ilizarov bone transport and bone graft after control of infection to reconstruct the defective tibia and function of the affected limb.Results All the flaps survived.Necrosis occurred at the distal margin of one flap but responded to dressing.Pin tract infection occurred in 4 cases but also responded to dressing and antibiotic therapy.Autografts of iliac cancellous bone were implanted into the gliding and traction ends of the bone fragments one month after bone transport had come to rest.All the patients achieved direct bony union.The patients were followed up for an average of 25 months(range,from 19 to 36 months).No secondary fractures or angular deformity was observed.The total treatment time averaged 17.9 months,with no recurrence of infection.According to the Puno score system for functional evaluation at the last follow-up,7 cases were rated as excellent,6 as good and 6 as fair.Conclusion The infectious bone and soft tissue defects caused by tibial shaft fracture of Gustilo type Ⅲ B can be treated by free flap and Ilizarov bone transport,resulting in definitely positive outcomes.