J Korean Fract Soc.  2005 Jan;18(1):36-42. 10.12671/jkfs.2005.18.1.36.

Internal Bone Transport in the Management of Tibial Bone Defects

• Oh CW
• Min WK
• Kyung HS
• Park IH
• Jeon IH
• Park BC
• Kim PT
• Sohn YH

• KMID: 2184016
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.12671/jkfs.2005.18.1.36

Abstract

PURPOSE: To retrospectively review the results of internal bone transport in the management of tibial bone defect using ilizarov fixator.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
We treated 39 cases of tibial bone defect (16 of traumatic bone loss, 23 after treatment of osteomyelitis). The mean age of index procedure was 33.8 years (range, 13~66 years), and all of them had follow-up study for a mean of 3.5 years (range, 1.6~8 years). The mean transported amount was 6.3 cm (range, 2.7~20 cm), and the external fixator was removed after 345 days (range, 120~700 days). The mean external fixation index was 60.3 days/cm (range, 13.1~121.3 days/cm).
RESULTS
Primary union of distraction and docking site was achieved in all, but two patients had failure in union of docking site. Functional results showed 6 excellent, 19 good, 10 fair, and 4 fair. The patients under age 20 showed better functional outcomes than the others. Among 73 complications (incidence, 1.87 cases/ patient), 27 of major complications with residual sequelae occurred in 20 patients. The residual sequelae were more common in the patients who had the concomitant injuries in the same leg.
CONCLUSION
Internal bone transport can solve the large amount of tibial bone defect. However, the complications are not uncommon, which might be related to the concomitant injures in the same leg.

Keyword

Tibia; Bone defect; Ilizarov; Internal bone transport

MeSH Terms

External Fixators
Follow-Up Studies
Humans
Leg
Retrospective Studies
Tibia