Ipsilateral fibular transfer: a valuable option for treatment of large tibial defects in children.

Large tibial defects pose a great therapeutical challenge. Defects longer than 5 cm should be treated using various techniques with almost similar final results. Besides the method of bone lengthening and free fibular flap, there is also the possibility of reconstruction with ipsilateral fibular transfer. This method, mainly for children and adolescents, is now still an alternative with only few complications which should not be abandoned. We present the case of a 6-year-old boy with floating knee and tibial fracture with excessive bone loss which was solved by ipsilateral fibular transfer as a 2-stage procedure.