BACKGROUND Severe open tibia fractures are challenging to treat with a lack of published clear management strategies.Our aim was to provide an overview of the largest singlecenter experience in the literature,with min...BACKGROUND Severe open tibia fractures are challenging to treat with a lack of published clear management strategies.Our aim was to provide an overview of the largest singlecenter experience in the literature,with minimum 1-year follow-up,of adult type 3 open tibial shaft fractures at Cambridge University Hospitals(a United Kingdom major trauma center).We sought to define patient characteristics and our main outcome measures were infection,union and re-fracture.AIM To retrospectively define patient and injury characteristics,present our surgical methods and analyze our outcomes–namely infection,union and re-fracture rates.METHODS Consecutive series of 74 patients with 75 open tibial fractures treated between 2014 and 2020(26 classified as Gustilo-Anderson 3A,47 were 3B and two were 3C).Nine patients underwent intramedullary nailing(IMN),61 underwent Taylor spatial frame(TSF)fixation and 5 were treated with Masquelet technique(IMN and subsequent bone grafting).RESULTS Mean follow-up was 16 mo(IMN)and 25 mo(TSF).We had an infection rate of 6.7%(5),non-union rate of 4%(3)and re-fracture rate of 2.7%(2).Average time to union was 22 wk for IMN and 38.6 wk for TSF.Thirty-three cases had a bone defect with a mean of 5.4 cm(2-11).Patient age,sex,diabetes,smoking status or injury severity did not have a significant effect on union time with either fixation method.Our limb salvage rate was 98.7%.CONCLUSION Grade 1 to 3A injuries can effectively be treated with reamed or unreamed IMN.Grade 3B/C injuries are best treated by circular external fixators as they provide good,reproducible outcomes and allow large bone defects to be addressed via distraction osteogenesis.展开更多
文摘BACKGROUND Severe open tibia fractures are challenging to treat with a lack of published clear management strategies.Our aim was to provide an overview of the largest singlecenter experience in the literature,with minimum 1-year follow-up,of adult type 3 open tibial shaft fractures at Cambridge University Hospitals(a United Kingdom major trauma center).We sought to define patient characteristics and our main outcome measures were infection,union and re-fracture.AIM To retrospectively define patient and injury characteristics,present our surgical methods and analyze our outcomes–namely infection,union and re-fracture rates.METHODS Consecutive series of 74 patients with 75 open tibial fractures treated between 2014 and 2020(26 classified as Gustilo-Anderson 3A,47 were 3B and two were 3C).Nine patients underwent intramedullary nailing(IMN),61 underwent Taylor spatial frame(TSF)fixation and 5 were treated with Masquelet technique(IMN and subsequent bone grafting).RESULTS Mean follow-up was 16 mo(IMN)and 25 mo(TSF).We had an infection rate of 6.7%(5),non-union rate of 4%(3)and re-fracture rate of 2.7%(2).Average time to union was 22 wk for IMN and 38.6 wk for TSF.Thirty-three cases had a bone defect with a mean of 5.4 cm(2-11).Patient age,sex,diabetes,smoking status or injury severity did not have a significant effect on union time with either fixation method.Our limb salvage rate was 98.7%.CONCLUSION Grade 1 to 3A injuries can effectively be treated with reamed or unreamed IMN.Grade 3B/C injuries are best treated by circular external fixators as they provide good,reproducible outcomes and allow large bone defects to be addressed via distraction osteogenesis.
