Surgical technique of spine-shortening vertebral osteotomy for adult tethered cord syndrome: a case report and review of the literature.

BACKGROUND: Miyakoshi et al. reported three cases of tethered cord syndrome treated by spine-shortening vertebral osteotomy, which provided relief of the patients' symptoms with no complications. Although the details of these cases were described in a previous report, the surgical technique was not thoroughly explained. In the present report, we describe the details of our procedure with reference to a fourth case. CASE PRESENTATION: A 47-year-old Asian woman was admitted to our hospital with a 1-year history of worsening leg numbness and urinary dysfunction. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a low-lying conus medullaris extending to the level of S2 and surrounded by fat tissue at that level. We diagnosed her condition as adult tethered cord syndrome, and spine-shortening vertebral osteotomy was planned. The target level for the osteotomy was L2. Bilateral pedicle screw implants were placed at L1 and L3 using an anterior-posterior image intensifier. In this procedure, it is essential to use monoaxial screws inserted exactly parallel to the rostral endplates of each vertebral body; this ensures appropriate alignment between the L1 caudal endplate and the L2 osteotomy surface. The upper one-third of the lamina of L2 was resected, and the bilateral two-thirds of the pedicle of L2 was removed with a surgical air drill. After exposure of the lateral side of the L1-2 disc, discectomy was performed with a knife and curette. Following complete discectomy of L1-2, the upper vertebral body of L2 was removed with a surgical air drill. After complete removal of the vertebral body, a straight rod was connected to two screws and applied pressure between the screws. Two polyethylene tapes were applied to the L2 lamina and bilateral rods. CONCLUSION: Spine-shortening osteotomy that preserves the caudal one-third of the pedicle and lamina with one-above and one-below instrumentation successfully reduced the spinal cord tension without causing neural damage.

The successful treatment of a Gustilo-Anderson type IIIc distal leg injury with a large bone defect in elderly patient with severe osteoporosis: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Gustilo-Anderson type IIIc tibial open fracture with large bone defects in elderly patients with severe osteoporosis is a rare injury that may be a challenging clinical scenario. CASE PRESENTATION: This study presents the case of a 68-year-old Japanese man who sustained a Gustilo-Anderson type IIIc open tibial fracture with a large bone defect. The patient had severe osteoporosis and the bone was contaminated; therefore, we determined that the bone could not be returned to the tibia. The patient underwent acute limb shortening and gradual lengthening with an Ilizarov external fixator combined with low-intensity pulsed ultrasound and teriparatide administration for limb reconstruction, which allowed immediate full weight-bearing capacity. The fixator was removed at 12 months postoperatively, and by this time, the fracture had completely healed. At the most recent 5-year follow-up after the injury, the patient reported full weight-bearing capacity without walking aids and had full knee and ankle range of motion. CONCLUSIONS: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to report the use of combined Ilizarov technique, low-intensity pulsed ultrasound, and teriparatide for limb reconstruction of Gustilo-Anderson type IIIc open tibial fractures with large bone defects in elderly patients with severe osteoporosis.

How Much Experience is Required to Acquire the Skills to Independently Perform Spine Surgery? What Milestones are Needed for Successful Surgery?

Purpose: To assess the number of surgeries needed to acquire the necessary skills to perform spine surgery independently. Patients and Methods: A questionnaire on 12 different spinal procedures was sent to orthopedic surgeons affiliated with the spine teams of orthopedic departments at either the Akita University or Sapporo Medical University. Participants were asked to identify whether they (A) could independently perform each procedure, (B) could perform each procedure with the assistance of a senior doctor, or (C) were unable to perform each procedure. Those whose response was (A) were asked how many surgeries were required to acquire the necessary skills. Those who responded to (B) or (C) were asked how many surgeries they believed were required to acquire the skills necessary to operate independently. Participants also responded to 10 questions on surgical training techniques and rated the usefulness of each method. Results: A total of 55 spine surgeons responded to the questionnaire. Group A required significantly fewer surgeries in the following categories to become independent than required Group C: upper cervical spine surgery (7.3/19.3), anterior cervical decompression/fusion (6.7/28.8), posterior cervical decompression/fusion (9.5/27.3), lumbar discectomy (12.6/26.7), endoscopic lumbar discectomy (10.2/24.2), spinal tumor resection (6.5/37.2), and spinal kyphosis surgery (10.3/32.3). Over 80% of participants responded that the following were effective methods: "surgeries where a senior doctor is the main surgeon, and the respondent is the assistant and observer"; "surgeries where the respondent is the main surgeon, and a senior doctor is an assistant"; "self-study using surgery manuals, articles, and textbooks"; and "training through video surgery sessions". Conclusion: Surgeons who do not perform specific procedures independently require more surgical experience than those who operate independently. Our results may help develop more efficient training methods for spine surgeons.

Successful Treatment of Atypical Femoral Fracture with Bowed Femur Using Contralateral Intramedullary Nail Combined with Early Daily Teriparatide.

We report a case of atypical femoral fracture achieving early fracture union with combination therapy comprising contralateral nail and immediate teriparatide injection. Fracture union of atypical fractures is often delayed due to bowing deformity and bone metabolic disorders. Combination treatment that takes both problems into consideration represents a useful treatment option for atypical femoral fracture.

Degenerative Lumbar Spondylolisthesis Patients With Movement-related Low Back Pain Have Less Postoperative Satisfaction After Decompression Alone.

STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective analysis of prospectively collected multicenter observational data. OBJECTIVE: The aim was to examine the preoperative factors affecting postoperative satisfaction following posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF) and microendoscopic muscle-preserving interlaminar decompression (ME-MILD) in patients with degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis (DLS). SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: The technique involved in DLS surgery may either be decompression alone or decompression-fixation. Poor performance may occur after either of these surgical treatments. The author hypothesized that evaluating the correlation between preoperative quality of life and postoperative performance would aid in determining the optimal procedure. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study included 138 patients who underwent surgery for 1-level mild DLS. The authors performed PLIF for 79 patients and ME-MILD for 59 patients. When the satisfaction subscale of the Zurich Claudication Questionnaire exceeded 2 points, postoperative satisfaction was considered poor. The clinical characteristics were investigated. Responses to preoperative health-related quality of life questionnaires, such as the Japanese Orthopedic Association Back Pain Evaluation Questionnaire (JOABPEQ), short form-36 health survey (SF-36), and visual analog scale, were compared between the satisfied and unsatisfied groups. RESULTS: In the PLIF group, no endogenous factors influenced postoperative satisfaction. The ME-MILD cohort's satisfied and unsatisfied patients differed significantly in terms of preoperative lumbar spine dysfunction ( P <0.001) items of the JOABPEQ, role physical ( P =0.03), and role emotional ( P =0.03) items of the SF-36. A strong correlation ( r =-0.609 P =0.015) was found between preoperative lumbar spine dysfunction and postoperative satisfaction. CONCLUSIONS: In the ME-MILD group, preoperative lumbar spine function was correlated with postoperative satisfaction. Decompression alone may be ineffective in cases with decreased lumbar spine function prior to surgery. The degree of low back pain on movement should be considered before selecting the surgical method. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 3.

The relationship between chronic kidney disease and denosumab-induced hypocalcemia in high-age osteoporotic patients.

PURPOSE: A few studies have reported the safety of the treatment of elderly osteoporotic patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and the possibility of hypocalcemia. The aim of the present study was to examine the relationship between the incidence of hypocalcemia and the CKD stage in elderly osteoporotic patients treated with denosumab. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was designed as a parallel-group comparison study between the denosumab-associated hypocalcemia (DAH) groups: the concentration of serum calcium was under 8.6 mg/dl and the normal calcium (NC) groups: the concentration of serum calcium was over 8.6 mg/dl. Fifty-two subjects over 70 years old were enrolled in this study, with 16 patients classified into the DAH group and 36 patients assigned to the NC group. All patients were further classified into two subgroups according to their age, into an around 75 years group to clarify the relevance of old age and an around 85 years group and also into a mild CKD group and a moderate CKD group by based on estimated glomerular filtration (eGFR). Serum calcium concentration, tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRACP-5b), and type 1 procollagen N terminal propeptide (P1NP) were measured, and adverse drug reactions were evaluated. RESULTS: The eGFR and serum calcium were significantly lower in the DAH group than in the NC group in the starting phase. Moreover, TRACP-5b was significantly higher in the DAH group than in the NC group in the starting phase. There were no significant differences in P1NP. The incidence of hypocalcemia was significantly higher in the around 85 groups than in the around 75 groups. The frequency of hypocalcemia was also significantly higher in the severe CKD group than in the mild CKD group. CONCLUSION: Advanced age combined with low eGFR and low serum Ca status appear to be associated with the incidence of hypocalcemia when using denosumab for the treatment of osteoporosis.

Accuracy of Heart Rate and Respiratory Rate Measurements Using Two Types of Wearable Devices.

Objectives: Wearable devices such as fitness trackers have become popular in the healthcare field. Tracking heart rate and respiratory rate, in addition to physical activity, may provide an accurate picture of daily health. We believe that a combination of two types of devices can simultaneously measure and record physical activity, heart rate, and respiratory rate. However, the measurement accuracies of these two types of devices are not clear. This study aimed to determine the measurement accuracies of two wearable devices for heart and respiratory rate measurements. Methods: Ten healthy men performed incremental load tests (ILTs) and constant load tests (CLTs) on a cycle ergometer. The heart and respiratory rates were measured using wrist-worn (Silmee W22, TDK, Japan, Tokyo) and respiratory tracking devices (Spire Stone, Spire Health, San Francisco, CA, USA), respectively. A 12-lead electrocardiograph and the breath-by-breath method were used as external standards for heart and respiratory rates, respectively. Results: Bland-Altman analysis showed that heart rate had a fixed bias at rest and during ILT and CLT and had a proportional bias during CLT. The standard error values of the regression at rest and during CLT were less than 10 bpm for heart rate and less than 5.0 /min for respiratory rate. During ILT, the standard error was greater than 10 bpm for heart rate and approximately 5.0 /min for respiratory rate. Conclusions: The heart and respiratory rate measurements obtained using wearable devices were accurate within the practical margin of error.

Development of a Gait Rehabilitation Robot Using an Exoskeleton and Functional Electrical Stimulation: Validation in a Pseudo-paraplegic Model.

OBJECTIVE: We have developed a robot for gait rehabilitation of paraplegics for use in combination with functional electrical stimulation (FES). The purpose of this study was to verify whether the robot-derived torque can be reduced by using FES in a healthy-person pseudo-paraplegic model. METHODS: Nine healthy participants (22-36 years old) participated in this study. The robot exoskeleton was designed based on the hip-knee-ankle-foot orthosis for paraplegia. Participants walked on a treadmill using a rehabilitation lift to support their weight. The bilateral quadriceps femoris and hamstrings were stimulated using FES. The participants walked both with and without FES, and two walking speeds, 0.8 and 1.2 km/h, were used. Participants walked for 1 min in each of the four conditions: (a) 0.8 km/h without FES, (b) 0.8 km/h with FES, (c) 1.2 km/h without FES, and (d) 1.2 km/h with FES. The required robot torques in these conditions were compared for each hip and knee joint. The maximum torque was compared using one-way analysis of variance to determine whether there was a difference in the amount of assist torque for each gait cycle. RESULTS: Walking with the exoskeleton robot in combination with FES significantly reduced the torque in hip and knee joints, except for the right hip during extension. CONCLUSIONS: In the healthy-participant pseudo-paraplegic model, walking with FES showed a reduction in the robot-derived torque at both the hip and knee joints. Our rehabilitation robot combined with FES has the potential to assist paraplegics with various degrees of muscle weakness and thereby provide effective rehabilitation.

Effects of teriparatide and low-intensity aerobic exercise on osteopenia in type 2 diabetes mellitus rats.

INTRODUCTION: In patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), bone fragility increases fracture risk. Teriparatide (TPTD) improves bone strength, and exercise therapy suppresses blood glucose levels in T2DM. In this study, the combined effects of TPTD and exercise therapy on trabecular and cortical bone were examined in advanced T2DM model rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-week-old Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima Fatty rats were divided into four groups (n = 9-10 in each group at two time points): Cont group (vehicle-treated control), TPTD group (TPTD 30 µg/kg injected subcutaneously, 3 times/week), Exe group (treadmill exercise, 10 m/min, 60 min/day, 5 times/week), and Comb group (TPTD-treated and treadmill exercise combined). Five and 10 weeks after treatment, bone mineral density (BMD), bone strength, and bone micro-architecture were measured. RESULTS: TPTD and combined treatment significantly increased BMDs of the lumbar spine and femur compared to the Cont group (p < 0.05 to p < 0.01). In the three-point bending test of the femur, only combined treatment increased the maximum load at 5 weeks compared with the Cont and Exe groups (p < 0.01). In the compression test of the distal femoral metaphysis, both TPTD and combined treatment increased the trabecular bone strength compared with the Cont and Exe groups (p < 0.05 to p < 0.01). Although TPTD and combined treatment improved the micro-architecture of trabecular bone (p < 0.05 to p < 0.01), only combined treatment improved the micro-structures of cortical bone from 5 weeks of treatment (p < 0.05 to p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: The combination of TPTD and treadmill exercise increased BMD and trabecular and cortical bone strength of the femur with improved micro-architecture in T2DM model rats.

Contralaterally controlled functional electrical stimulation immediately improves hand function.

Murata S, Koike Y, Kasukawa Y, Saito K, Okada K, Kudo D, Shimada Y, Miyakoshi N. Contralaterally controlled functional electrical stimulation immediately improves hand function. Jpn J Compr Rehabil Sci 2022; 13: 26-30. Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the immediate effects of contralaterally controlled functional electrical stimulation (CCFES) on upper limb function in stroke patients. Methods: CCFES and mirror therapy (MT) exercises were conducted for 13 stroke patients at least 4 weeks post-onset. A sufficient interval of at least 24 hours was left between the two types of rehabilitation exercises. Before treatment and immediately after each training session, grip strength, Fugl-Meyer Assessment for Upper Extremity (FMA-UE) score and FMA-UE subscores for the shoulder/elbow/forearm, wrist, hand, and coordination were evaluated. Results: Grip strength, FMA-UE and FMA-UE shoulder/elbow/forearm, wrist, and coordination did not differ significantly after CCFES and MT compared to before therapy. FMA-UE hand did not change significantly after MT compared to before therapy, but it improved significantly after CCFES (p = 0.013). Conclusion: CCFES for the upper extremities immediately improves hand function and may be effective in maintaining and improving patients' motivation for rehabilitation treatment.

Utility of a wearable robot for the fingers that uses pneumatic artificial muscles for patients with post-stroke spasticity.

Mita M, Suzumori K, Kudo D, Saito K, Chida S, Hatakeyama K, Shimada Y, Miyakoshi N. Utility of a wearable robot for the fingers that uses pneumatic artificial muscles for patients with post-stroke spasticity. Jpn J Compr Rehabil Sci 2022; 13: 12-16. Objective: We investigated the utility of a wearable robot for the fingers that we developed using pneumatic artificial muscles for rehabilitation of patients with post-stroke spasticity. Methods: Three patients with post-stroke finger spasticity underwent rehabilitation for 20 minutes a day, 5 days a week, for 3 weeks. Passive range of motion, Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS), and circumference of each finger were measured before and after training and compared. Results: The range of motion and finger circumference increased when using a wearable robot. The MAS improved partially, and no exacerbation was observed. Conclusions: The wearable robot we developed is useful for rehabilitation of post-stroke spasticity and may improve venous return.

Aphasia testing (auditory comprehension domain) using a new eye-tracking system in healthy participants.

Sakai R, Koike Y, Saito K, Matsunaga T, Shimada Y, Miyakoshi N. Aphasia testing (auditory comprehension domain) using a new eye-tracking system in healthy participants. Jpn J Compr Rehabil Sci 2022; 13: 31-35. Objective: We administered a conventional pointing-method test with eye-tracking to evaluate items associated with auditory comprehension and examined the concordance between the obtained results. Methods: The enrolled participants were 10 healthy volunteers. We performed tests after extracting auditory comprehension items from the SLTA, the WAB, and the Supplementary tests for the SLTA using the eye-tracking system and the pointing method. Results: The mean test duration was 9 min 51 s ± 1 min 41 s (mean ± SD), and the percentage of correct answers was 100% and in perfect agreement for the pointing method and the eye-tracking system. The mean response time was 0.96 ± 0.36 s for the pointing method and -0.39 ± 0.21 s for the eye-tracking system. Hence, the latter was faster than the former, and examinees completed their responses before listening to the end of the questions. Conclusion: The new eye-tracking system makes it possible to perform aphasia tests (auditory comprehension items) comparable to the conventional pointing method.

Guideline-based Treatment of Glucocorticoid-induced Osteoporosis in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Retrospective Study with the AORA Registry.

Glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis (GIOP) is one of the side effects associated with glucocorticoid (GC) therapy. In 2014, the Japanese Society for Bone and Mineral Research (JSBMR) provided new guidelines for the management and treatment of GIOP. The aim of the present study was to clarify the prevalence of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) requiring treatment according to the new guidelines and to identify risk factors associated with lack of treatment in these patients. Patients in the 2018 Akita Orthopedic group on Rheumatoid Arthritis (AORA) database were enrolled. Of 2,234 patients with RA in the database, 683 (30.6%) met the 2014 JSBMR guideline treatment criteria, and 480 (70.3%) had been treated. The untreated group included a larger number of males, younger patients, and patients treated in clinics rather than hospital (p<0.001, p=0.015, and p<0.001, respectively). Multivariate analyses found that male sex, younger age, and clinic-based RA care were significant risk factors associated with lack of treatment (p<0.001, p=0.013, and p<0.001, respectively). Thus, male sex, younger age, and clinic-based care were identified as risk factors.

Deep Angiomyxoma of the Thigh That Is Difficult to Diagnose: A Case Report and Literature Review.

We present an extremely rare case of deep angiomyxoma (DAM) in the thigh that was misdiagnosed as desmoid-type fibromatosis. A 40-year-old Japanese woman presented with a mass on the left thigh. The histological diagnosis by needle biopsy was desmoid-type fibromatosis; the tumor grew slowly and was resected 4 years later. The histological diagnosis from the resected tumor was DAM. As of 16 months post-surgery, the patient has not noticed any local recurrence. Although DAM in a lower extremity is extremely rare, clinicians must be aware of its possible occurrence in areas relatively close to the pelvis.

Association between global sagittal malalignment and increasing hip joint contact force, analyzed by a novel musculoskeletal modeling system.

Patients with adult spinal deformity have various standing postures. Although several studies have reported a relationship between sagittal alignment and exacerbation of hip osteoarthritis, information is limited regarding how spinopelvic sagittal alignment changes affect hip joint loading. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between sagittal spinopelvic-lower limb alignment and the hip joint contact force (HCF) using a novel musculoskeletal model. We enrolled 20 women (78.3±6.7 years) from a single institution. Standing lateral radiographs were acquired to measure thoracic kyphosis, lumbar lordosis, the pelvic tilt, sacral slope, sagittal vertical axis (SVA), femur obliquity angle, and knee flexion angle. In the model simulation, the Anybody Modeling System was used, which alters muscle pathways using magnetic resonance imaging data. Each patient's alignment was entered into the model; the HCF and hip moment in the standing posture were calculated using inverse dynamics analysis. The relationship between the HCF and each parameter was examined using Spearman's correlation coefficient (r). The patients were divided into low SVA and high SVA groups, with a cutoff value of 50 mm for the SVA. The HCF was 168.2±60.1 N (%BW) and positively correlated with the SVA (r = 0.6343, p<0.01) and femur obliquity angle (r = 0.4670, p = 0.03). The HCF were 122.2 and 214.1 N (75.2% difference) in the low SVA and high SVA groups, respectively (p<0.01). The flexion moment was also increased in the high SVA group compared with that in the low SVA group (p = 0.03). The SVA and femur obliquity angle are factors related to the HCF, suggesting an association between adult spinal deformity and the exacerbation of hip osteoarthritis. Future studies will need to assess the relationship between the hip joint load and sagittal spinopelvic parameters in dynamic conditions.

Tumor Lysis Syndrome due to Eribulin Administration for Metastatic Undifferentiated Pleomorphic Sarcoma of the Buttock.

Tumor lysis syndrome (TLS) is a complication of cancer treatment that requires urgent intervention. It is extremely rare in the treatment of soft tissue sarcoma (STS) of the limbs or trunk, and there are currently no reports of TLS occurrence from eribulin therapy. We report the case of a 78-year-old woman with an undiffer-entiated pleomorphic sarcoma on the right buttock. We initiated chemotherapy with intravenous eribulin mesylate. Deterioration of renal function, mild hyperkalemia, hyperuricemia, hypocalcemia, and hyperphos-phatemia were confirmed on examination, suggesting the presence of TLS. We present an extremely rare case of TLS from eribulin for STS.

Changes in Invasiveness and Latent Infection Rate Associated with Switching the Approach in Total Hip Replacement.

PURPOSE: Muscle-sparing approaches for total hip replacement (THR) involve learning curves. This study aimed to clarify changes in invasiveness and infection rate with changes in approach. METHODS: One surgeon changed the approach of THR from Dall's approach (Dall) to anterolateral modified Watson-Jones approach (OCM). Another changed from Dall to a direct anterior approach (DAA). Another 3 surgeons changed from posterolateral approach (PL) to OCM. Subjects were 150 cases, comprising the last 25 cases with conventional approaches and the first 25 cases with new approaches (Dall to OCM: 25 + 25; Dall to DAA: 25 + 25; PL to OCM: 25 + 25 cases). Differences in operative time, bleeding volume, hospital stay, haemoglobin (Hb), white blood cell count, lymphocyte count, creatine kinase (CK) and C-reactive protein (CRP) were investigated. RESULTS: In the change from Dall to OCM, only hospital stay decreased. In the change from Dall to DAA, hospital stay and CRP decreased, but bleeding volume increased. In the change from PL to OCM, operative time, CRP and CK decreased, but Hb also decreased. Cases with lymphocyte count <1000/µL or lymphocytes comprising <10% of total white blood cells at around day 4 after surgery were defined as latent infection cases. In these cases, operative time was longer, Hb was lower and CK was higher. CONCLUSION: Introducing muscle-sparing approaches improved many markers of invasiveness, but some items deteriorated. In the early stages of introducing a new approach, choosing cases without obesity and without high muscle volume may reduce the risk of infection.

Evaluation of anteroposterior accelerometric change after bi-cruciate stabilized total knee arthroplasty and posterior stabilized total knee arthroplasty.

BACKGROUND: In conventional total knee arthroplasty (TKA), the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is resected. ACL dysfunction causes knee instability and is regarded as one factor in poor TKA outcomes. In bi-cruciate stabilized (BCS) TKA, the implant reproduces ACL function and provides anterior stability. The objective of this study was to evaluate preoperative and postoperative X-rays and accelerometer gait measurements in patients who underwent BCS TKA and posterior-stabilized (PS) TKA to assess the postoperative acceleration changes of knees after these procedures and to compare them in terms of joint range of motion (ROM) and the New Knee Society Score (New KSS). METHODS: The subjects were 60 patients, 30 of whom underwent BCS TKA and 30 PS TKA. Joint ROM, New KSS, lateral X-rays of the standing extended knee, and accelerometer data were evaluated 12 months postoperatively. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in joint ROM between the groups. Both had good New KSS results, but the functional activity score was significantly higher after BCS TKA than after PS TKA. X-rays showed a lower posterior offset ratio after BCS TKA than after PS TKA, with anteroposterior positioning closer to that of the normal knee. Accelerometer data showed that postoperative anteroposterior acceleration on the femoral side in the stance phase and swing phase was lower after BCS TKA than after PS TKA. CONCLUSION: Compared with PS TKA, BCS TKA resulted in a higher functional activity score, closer positioning to that of the normal knee on lateral X-ray, and lower anteroposterior acceleration on the femoral side.

Open tibial shaft fracture in a boy with autism spectrum disorder treated using a ring external fixator: A case report.

Autism spectrum disorder covers a group of behaviorally defined disorders that may result in the patient having difficulty staying calm during medical treatments, due to anxiety-related overreactions. Tibial fractures are the third most common pediatric long-bone fracture. Conservative treatment is selected in many cases, but surgical treatment may be selected in cases of open fracture and no treatment policy has been established. We described the case of a 6-year-old boy with autism spectrum disorder who was unable to stay calm due to anxiety and required sedation. We diagnosed open tibial shaft fracture (Orthopaedic Trauma Association classification 42A1, 4F2A; Gustilo classification type 1). On the day of injury, we performed osteosynthesis using a ring external fixator and primary closure of the open wound. Full weight-bearing was permitted from immediately after surgery. No significant complications were observed postoperatively, and the external fixator was removed 84 days postoperatively. No abnormal alignment of the lower leg, leg-length discrepancy or range of motion disorder was identified. To the best of our knowledge, no other reports have described use of a ring external fixator for open tibial shaft fractures in children with autism spectrum disorder. Using a ring external fixator appears helpful for open tibial shaft fractures in children who are unable to stay calm due to autism spectrum disorder, because there is no need to limit weight-bearing immediately after surgery. For Gustilo classification type 1 pediatric open fracture, primary closure of the open wound is safe after sufficient bone fixation.