Multistaged surgical management of posttraumatic segmental tibial bone loss

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Maurer-RC; Dillin-L Clin-Orthop. 1987 Mar(216): 162-70 Fracture nonunions associated with segmental diaphyseal bone loss challenge present methods of sustaining bone length and securing bony union. In the tibia, single-stage grafting procedures to accomplish this reconstruction requires major tissue sacrifice from adjacent areas and often results in amputation. A series of nine patients with tibial segmental diaphyseal bone loss were treated with multistaged surgical reconstruction. All nine were patients with severe trauma, with soft-tissue loss and local sepsis, who were candidates for amputation. The follow-up period averaged 5.5 years. All of the patients achieved healed, stable legs. All but one were fully ambulatory without a brace eight to 15 months after the first stage of bone grafting. There were several minor complications, which were satisfactorily treated. Multistaged bone graft operations were relatively low-risk, with a high incidence of success for treatment of major tibial segmental bone loss.