Abstract
Aims: The purpose of this study is to to assess the surgical results, complications, and long-term results of vascularized fibula in the treatment of congenital pseudarthrosis of the tibia. Methods: Seven patients who had congenital pseudarthrosis of the tibia were treated consecutively at our clinic between 1992 and 2000 with free vascularized fibular graft. There were four females and three males. The mean age at the time of operation averaged 6.5 years (range 1–12 years). Four left tibias and 3 right tibias were involved. Stability was maintained with internal fixation in four patients, external fixation in two patients and intramedullary pin in one patient. Results: The average follow-up was 2.6 years (range 6 months to 8 years). In five patients, both ends of the graft healed primarily within 2.7 months (range 1.5 to 3 months), and hypertrophy of the fibular graft occurred rapidly with a well-formed medullary canal. In one patient the distal junction did not unite and although required three subsequent operations still not healed. Stress fracture occurred in one patient underwent four additional operations before union achieved. Conclusions: Despiting the continuing problems and the relatively high complication rate, the ultimate results with free vascularized fibula transplant are generally good specially as compared with published series in whom conventional grafting techniques had failed. However, even achieving union of pseudarthrosis is not enough for the resolution of this disease and is only half of the problem; the other half is to maintaining
Theses abstracts were prepared by Professor Dr. Frantz Langlais. Correspondence should be addressed to him at EFORT Central Office, Freihofstrasse 22, CH-8700 Küsnacht, Switzerland.
