Repair of Infected Femoral Bone Defect with Free Fibula Transplantation

Zhong Liu, Zhao Zhang^*, Beibei Liu, Jian Jiao, Yu Shi, Pin’an Xu, Feng Niu

Department of Traumatic Orthopedics, Weapons’ Industrial 521 Hospital, Xi ‘an, Shaanxi, China

Dr. Zhao Zhang, Department of Traumatic Orthopedics, Weapons’ Industrial 521 Hospital, Xi ‘an, Shaanxi, China

Keywords: Fibular Graft; Femur; Infection; Bone Defect

Abstract

Objective: To explore the clinical application and effect of free fibula transplantation in the treatment of femoral infectious bone defect. Methods: From April 2008 to April 2013, 9 patients that had infectious bone defect in femur underwent repair with free vascularized fibular graft, the bacterier cultivation of sinus tract excretion in preoperation and focal zone in operation have proved the infection including 7 males and 2 females with an average age of 34 years (24-43). The length of bone defect were 7.5 cm on average. The bone defect was repaired with free vascularized fibular graft on one stage in 6 cases and two stages in 3 cases after the cure of infection. Six patients underwent folded and three patients underwent single vascularised fibula graft transfer. The skin island flaps were used as a postoperative predictor of vascularized fibula graft viability in 6 cases. The transfer fibular were fixed with plate in 6 cases, external fixor in 3 cases. Time to union was recorded through evaluation of plain radiographs. The Enneking score system was applied to evaluate the lower extremity function.

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