Treatment of Gustilo ⅢC open tibiofibular fractures by microsurgery combined with Ilizarov technique / 中华创伤骨科杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To explore the clinical efficacy of microsurgery combined with Ilizarov technique in the treatment of Gustilo ⅢC open tibiofibular fractures.Methods:From January 2014 to December 2016, 20 patients with Gustilo ⅢC open tibiofibular fracture were treated at Department of Hand Surgery 2, Repair and Reconstruction, Wuhan NO. 4 Hospital, Wuhan Puai Hospital. They were 13 men and 7 women, aged from 36 to 56 years (average, 42.6 years). The time from injury to operation ranged from 2 to 6 hours (average, 4.3 hours). The defects were at the proximal bone in 6 cases, at the middle bone in 9 cases and at the distal bone in 5 cases. The area of soft tissue defect ranged from 10 cm×6 cm to 12 cm×9 cm, and the lengths of bone defects averaged 10.3 cm. Microsurgery was conducted at the first stage to repair blood vessels and nerves and to reconstruct blood circulation, and an Ilizarov circular external fixator was installed at the second stage to repair bone and soft tissue defects by two-way bone transport. Bone transport time, wound healing time, bone transport distance, external fixation time, external fixation index, solidification time for the extended area and complications were recorded after operation. The curative efficacy was evaluated by Palay evaluation.Results:All patients were followed up for 12 to 30 months (average, 24 months). After the bone and soft tissue defects were well repaired, all the patients returned to daily life. The time from bone transport to apposition of fracture ends ranged from 50 to 160 days, averaging 75.8 days; the wound healing time ranged from 60 to 150 days, averaging 100.6 days; the bone transport distance ranged from 8 to 13 cm, averaging 10.3 cm; the external fixation time ranged from 12 to 20 months, averaging 14.0 months; the external fixation index was 1.6 months/cm; the solidification time for the extended area ranged from 5 to 16 months, averaging 10.9 months. No infection, malunion or re-fracture was observed; postoperative axis deviation was observed in 2 cases and ankle stiffness in 3 cases. According to the Palay evaluation, 5 cases were excellent, 12 cases good, and 3 cases fair.Conclusion:As microsurgery combined with Ilizarov technique can treat Gustilo ⅢC open tibiofibular fractures effectively by reconstructing limb blood circulation, it is worthy of clinical promotion.