[Reconstruction of the infected war defects of the tibia: a fragment elongation according to the Ilizarov technique].

INTRODUCTION/AIM: The treatment of tibia defects complicated with chronic osteomyelitis is difficult, often requiring one or more surgical interventions with prolonged periods of functional incapacity.

METHODS

We treated 20 patients with tibia defects, who had been wounded during the war operations in the former Yugoslavia, complicated with chronic osteomyelitis by applying the Ilizarov apparatus. In 10 patients with the average defect of 4.7 cm, interfragmentary diastasis of 1.5 cm, and 3.1 cm of shortening we applied the bilocal synchronous compressive - distractive method (BSCD). In the remaining 10 patients with average defect of 6.4 cm, interfragmentary diastasis of 5.5 cm, and 1.6 cm of shortening we applied bilocal alternating distractive - compressive osteosynthesis (BADC).

RESULTS

The average followup was 93 months. In the group A, the average distraction index was 10.6, maturation index 39.8, and external fixation index 52.5. In the group B, the average distraction index was 11.7, maturation index 47.1, and external fixation index 60.1. The average time from the application to the apparatus removing was in the group A 6.5 months, and in the group B 11.9 months. There were 27 complications: 11 problems, 8 disturbs, and 8 true complications. Pin-track inflammation of the soft tissue was noted most frequently (6 patients).

CONCLUSIONS

One stage of repairing inflamation and the restitution of defect in lower leg tissue was the advantage of this type of treatment. All of the patients recovered. There was not any bad result, either in osteal or in functional outcome.