Muscle transposition for treatment and prevention of chronic post-traumatic osteomyelitis of the tibia.

There is considerable difference of opinion about how patients with open tibial fractures and considerable loss of skin should be treated. The incidence of long-term complications from such lesions--that is, chronic ulceration and chronic osteomyelitis--apparently is not recorded, but many cases undoubtedly exist and are under treatment by methods that are short of curative. Successful results in forty-three patients were obtained by muscle transposition and delayed skin-grafting. Early coverage of open fractures of the tibia with soft tissue will prevent the later development of osteomyelitis, ulceration, and, perhaps to some extent, non-union.