Spinal reconstruction for osteomyelitis with free vascularized fibular grafts using intra-abdominal recipient vessels: A series of three cases.

Reconstruction of bony defects in the surgical management of vertebral osteomyelitis is a challenging endeavor. Our objective is to report the use of intra-abdominal vessels as the recipient vessels for microanastomosis of vascularized bone graft and the use of a spinal cage for fixation. Three patients failed conservative treatment for vertebral osteomyelitis and suffered pathologic fracture. Their treatment consisted of staged posterior irrigation and debridement with segmental fixation, followed by a thoracoabdominal approach multiple-level corpectomy. Reconstruction was performed with a free vascularized fibular graft placed within a custom, expandable cage. The vascularized fibular graft was anastomosed to an intra-abdominal recipient vessel. All patients improved clinically with no neurologic deficits noted. All showed evidence of successful fusion. Free vascularized bone grafts continue to be an excellent option for multi-level spinal defects related to osteomyelitis. Intra-abdominal recipient vessels are appropriate recipient vessels, as their diameter, length, and accessibility allow vascularized bone graft reconstruction of vertebral column defects of the thoracolumbar region. These vessels are also easily accessible and the anastomoses can be performed in the superficial operating incision.

The use of hemoglobin saturation ratio as a means of measuring tissue perfusion in the development of heel pressure sores.

The heel is a common site of pressure ulcers. The amount of pressure and time needed to develop these wounds is dependent on various factors including pressure surface, the patient's anatomy, and co-morbidities. We studied the use of the hemoglobin saturation ratio as a means of assessing heel perfusion in various pressure settings. The mixed perfusion ratio in the heels of 5 volunteers was assessed on 3 pressure surfaces and at the time of off-load. The surfaces studied included: stretcher pad, plastic backboard without padding, and pressure reduction gel. Each surface was measured for 5 minutes with a real-time reading. On the stretcher, the average StO2% decrease for each pressure surface was 26.2 ± 10 (range 18-43). The average StO2% decrease on the backboard was 22.8 ± 12.3 (range 8-37), and 24.0 ± 4.8 (range 19-30) on the gel pad. The StO2% drop plateaued with the stretcher and gel pad, but with the backboard there was a continued slow drop at 5 minutes. This study demonstrates that hemoglobin oxygenation ratio may be effective in assessing a tissue's direct perfusion in the setting of tissue pressure and may also be beneficial to better assess the effects of pressure-reduction surfaces. Further studies will be needed to determine time to skin breakdown as it pertains to pressure and tissue oxygenation.