Aims. To report the outcomes of patients with a fracture of the distal tibia who were treated with intramedullary nail versus locking plate in the five years after participating in the Fixation of Distal Tibia fracture (FixDT) trial. Methods. The FixDT trial reported the results for 321 patients randomized to nail or locking plate fixation in the first 12 months after their injury. In this follow-up study, we report the results of 170 of the original participants who agreed to be followed up until five years. Participants reported their Disability Rating Index (DRI) and health-related quality of life (EuroQol five-dimension three-level questionnaire) annually by self-reported questionnaire. Further surgical interventions related to the fracture were also recorded. Results. There was no evidence of a difference in patient-reported disability, health-related quality of life, or the need for further surgery between participants treated with either type of fixation at five years. Considering the combined results for all participants, there was no significant change in DRI scores after the first 12 months of follow-up (difference between 12 and 24 months, 3.3 (95% confidence interval -1.8 to 8.5); p = 0.203), with patients reporting around 20% disability at five years. Conclusion. This study shows that the moderate levels of disability and reduced quality of life reported by participants 12 months after a fracture of the distal tibia persist in the medium term, with little evidence of improvement after the first year. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2023;105-B(7):795–800

Aims. Osteofibrous dysplasia (OFD) is a rare benign lesion predominantly affecting the tibia in children. Its potential link to adamantinoma has influenced management. This international case series reviews the presentation of OFD and management approaches to improve our understanding of OFD. Methods. A retrospective review at three paediatric tertiary centres identified 101 cases of tibial OFD in 99 patients. The clinical records, radiological images, and histology were analyzed. Results. Mean age at presentation was 13.5 years (SD 12.4), and mean follow-up was 5.65 years (SD 5.51). At latest review, 62 lesions (61.4%) were in skeletally mature patients. The most common site of the tibial lesion was the anterior (76 lesions, 75.2%) cortex (63 lesions, 62.4%) of the middle third (52 lesions, 51.5%). Pain, swelling, and fracture were common presentations. Overall, 41 lesions (40.6%) presented with radiological deformity (> 10°): apex anterior in 97.6%. A total of 41 lesions (40.6%) were treated conservatively. Anterior bowing < 10° at presentation was found to be related to successful conservative management of OFD (p = 0.013, multivariable logistic regression). Intralesional excision was performed in 43 lesions (42.6%) and a wide excision of the lesion in 19 (18.8%). A high complication rate and surgical burden was found in those that underwent a wide excision regardless of technique employed. There was progression/recurrence in nine lesions (8.9%) but statistical analysis found no predictive factors. No OFD lesion transformed to adamantinoma. Conclusion. This study confirms OFD to be a benign bone condition with low rates of local progression and without malignant transformation. It is important to distinguish OFD from adamantinoma by a histological diagnosis. Focus should be on angular deformity, monitored with full-length tibial radiographs. Surgery is indicated in symptomatic patients and predicted by the severity of the initial angular deformity. Surgery should focus more on the deformity rather than the lesion. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2022;104-B(2):302–308

Intro. Calcium sulphate (CS) is a recent alternative for antibiotic elution in infected bones and joints. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the use of antibiotic impregnated calcium sulphate (AICS) beads in the management of infected tibia and femur, with regards to patient outcomes and complication rates (including reinfection rate, remission rate and union rate). Methods. Searches of AMED, CINAHL, EMBASE, EMCARE, Medline, PubMed and Google Scholar were conducted in June 2020, with the mesh terms: “Calcium sulphate beads” or “Calcium sulfate beads” or “antibiotic beads” or “Stimulan” AND “Bone infection” or “Osteomyelitis” or “Debridement” AND “Tibia” or “Femur”. Risk of bias was assessed using the Risk of Bias in Non-randomised Studies of interventions (ROBINS-i) tool, and quality assessed via the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) criteria. Results. Out of 105 relevant papers, 11 met the inclusion criteria for data extraction. Total infection recurrence rate was 6.8% (range 3.2 – 11.9%, n = 295), which was significantly lower (p < 0.001) than that of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA; 19.6%, n = 163). Complication rates varied. The main issue regarding AICS use was wound drainage (7.9 – 33.3%), which was considerably higher in studies involving treatment of the tibia only. Studies using PMMA did not experience this issue, but there were a few incidences of superficial pin tract infection following surgery. Conclusions. AICS was consistently effective at infection eradication, despite variation in causative organism and location of bead placement. Additionally, PMMA has many inconvenient properties. AICS is therefore an attractive alternative as an adjunct in treatment of infected tibia and femur. Wound drainage rate varied and was higher in studies regarding tibial cases alone

Objectives. This study aims to evaluate if micro-CT can work as a method for the 3D assessment and analysis of cancellous bone by comparing micro-CT with undecalcified histological sections in OVX rats. Methods. The mandible and tibia of sham, ovariectomised (OVX) and zoledronate-injected ovariectomised (OVX-ZOL) rats were assessed morphometrically. Specimens were scanned by micro-CT. Undecalcified histological sections were manufactured from the specimen scanned by micro-CT and stained with haematoxylin and eosin. Bivariate linear regressions and one-way analysis of variance were undertaken for statistics using SPSS 16.0.1 software. Results. There were highly significant correlations between undecalcified histological sections and micro-CT for all parameters (bone volume density (BV/TV), bone surface density (BS/BV), trabecular thickness (Tb.Th), trabecular number (Tb.N), and trabecular separation (Tb.Sp))in the mandible and tibia. Bone histomorphometric parameters analysed by both methods exhibited significant differences among sham, OVX, and OVX-ZOL groups. There were significant correlations between mandible and tibia in BV/TV, BS/BV, and Tb.Sp. Conclusions. Micro-CT is a complementary tool to histological sections in basic research that could improve our understanding of bone histomorphometry. The mandible can be used as an effective site to assess bone morphometry of OVX or metabolic bone disease rat models. Cite this article: H. Liu, W. Li, Y. S. Liu, Y. S. Zhou. Bone micro-architectural analysis of mandible and tibia in ovariectomised rats: A quantitative structural comparison between undecalcified histological sections and micro-CT. Bone Joint Res 2016;5:253–262

Aims. The aims of this study were to establish whether composite fixation (rail-plate) decreases fixator time and related problems in the management of patients with infected nonunion of tibia with a segmental defect, without compromising the anatomical and functional outcomes achieved using the classical Ilizarov technique. We also wished to study the acceptability of this technique using patient-based objective criteria. Patients and Methods. Between January 2012 and January 2015, 14 consecutive patients were treated for an infected nonunion of the tibia with a gap and were included in the study. During stage one, a radical debridement of bone and soft tissue was undertaken with the introduction of an antibiotic-loaded cement spacer. At the second stage, the tibia was stabilized using a long lateral locked plate and a six-pin monorail fixator on its anteromedial surface. A corticotomy was performed at the appropriate level. During the third stage, i.e. at the end of the distraction phase, the transported fragment was aligned and fixed to the plate with two to four screws. An iliac crest autograft was added to the docking site and the fixator was removed. Functional outcome was assessed using the Association for the Study and Application of Methods of Ilizarov (ASAMI) criteria. Patient-reported outcomes were assessed using the Musculoskeletal Tumor Society (MSTS) score. Results. The mean age of patients was 38.1 years (. sd. 12.7). There were 13 men and one woman. The mean size of the defect was 6.4 cm (. sd. 1.3). the mean follow-up was 33.2 months (24 to 50). The mean external fixator index was 21.2 days/cm (. sd. 1.5). The complication rate was 0.5 (7/14) per patient. According to the classification of Paley, there were five problems and two obstacles but no true complications. The ASAMI bone score was excellent in all patients. The functional ASAMI scores were excellent in eight and good in six patients. The mean MSTS composite score was 83.9% (. sd. 7.1), with an MSTS emotional acceptance score of 4.9 (. sd. 0.5; maximum possible 5). Conclusion. Composite fixation (rail-plate) decreases fixator time and the associated complications, in the treatment of patients of infected nonunion tibia with a segmental defect. It also provides good anatomical and functional results with high emotional acceptance. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2018;100-B:1094–9

Aims. In this randomized study, we aimed to compare quality of regenerate in monolateral versus circular frame fixation in 30 patients with infected nonunion of tibia. Patients and Methods. Both groups were comparable in demographic and injury characteristics. A phantom (aluminium step wedge of increasing thickness) was designed to compare the density of regenerate on radiographs. A CT scan was performed at three and six months postoperatively to assess regenerate density. A total of 30 patients (29 male, one female; mean age 32.54 years (18 to 60)) with an infected nonunion of a tibial fracture presenting to our tertiary institute between June 2011 and April 2016 were included in the study. Results. The regenerate mineralization on radiographs was comparable in both groups at two, four, six, and ten months’ follow-up but the rail fixator group had statistically significant higher grades of mineralization when compared with the circular frame group at eight and 12 months’ follow-up. The regenerate mineralization was also higher in the rail fixator group than in the circular frame group on CT at three and six months, although this difference was not statistically significant. Conclusion. Overall, the regenerate mineralization was higher in the monolateral than the circular frame group. A monolateral fixator may be preferred in patients with infected nonunion of the tibia with bone defects up to 7 cm. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2019;101-B:1416–1422

Congenital pseudarthrosis of the tibia (CPT) is a rare but well recognised condition. Obtaining union of the pseudarthrosis in these children is often difficult and may require several surgical procedures. The treatment has changed significantly since the review by Hardinge in 1972, but controversies continue as to the best form of surgical treatment. This paper reviews these controversies. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2013;95-B:1027–34

Aims. This is a prospective randomised study which compares the radiological and functional outcomes of ring and rail fixators in patients with an infected gap (> 3 cm) nonunion of the tibia. Patients and Methods. Between May 2008 and February 2013, 70 patients were treated at our Institute for a posttraumatic osseocutaneous defect of the tibia measuring at least 3 cm. These were randomised into two groups of 35 patients using the lottery method. Group I patients were treated with a ring fixator and group II patients with a rail fixator. The mean age was 33.2 years (18 to 64) in group I and 29.3 years (18 to 65) in group II. The mean bone gap was 5.84 cm in group I and 5.78 cm in group II. The mean followup was 33.8 months in group I and 32.6 months in group II. Bone and functional results were assessed using the classification of the Association for the Study and Application of the Method of Ilizarov (ASAMI). Functional results were also assessed at six months using the short musculoskeletal functional assessment (SMFA) score. Results. The bone result was excellent, good, fair and poor in 21, 12, 0 and 2 in group I; and 14, 15, 3, and 3 in group II, respectively. The functional results were excellent, good, fair, poor and failure in 16, 17, 1, 0 and 1 in group I; and 22, 10, 0, 3 and 0 in group II, respectively. Both fixator systems achieved comparable rates of union and functional outcomes. The rate of deep pintract infection was significantly higher in the rail fixator group but patients found it more comfortable. Conclusion. We recommend the use of a ring fixator in patients with a bone gap of more than 6 cm. Patients with a bone gap up to 6 cm can be managed with either a ring or rail fixator. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2016;98B:1399–1405

Stress shielding resulting in diminished bone density following total knee replacement (TKR) may increase the risk of migration and loosening of the prosthesis. This retrospective study was designed to quantify the effects of the method of fixation on peri-prosthetic tibial bone density beneath cemented and uncemented tibial components of similar design and with similar long-term survival rates. Standard radiographs taken between two months and 15 years post-operatively were digitised from a matched group of TKRs using cemented (n = 67) and uncemented (n = 67) AGC tibial prostheses. Digital radiograph densitometry was used to quantify changes in bone density over time. Age, length of follow-up, gender, body mass index and alignment each significantly influenced the long-term pattern of peri-prosthetic bone density. Similar long-term changes in density irrespective of the method of fixation correlated well with the high rate of survival of this TKR at 20 years, and suggest that cemented and uncemented fixation are both equally viable. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2013;95-B:911–16

Aims. Unicompartmental and total knee arthroplasty (UKA and TKA) are successful treatments for osteoarthritis, but the solid metal implants disrupt the natural distribution of stress and strain which can lead to bone loss over time. This generates problems if the implant needs to be revised. This study investigates whether titanium lattice UKA and TKA implants can maintain natural load transfer in the proximal tibia. Methods. In a cadaveric model, UKA and TKA procedures were performed on eight fresh-frozen knee specimens, using conventional (solid) and titanium lattice tibial implants. Stress at the bone-implant interfaces were measured and compared to the native knee. Results. Titanium lattice implants were able to restore the mechanical environment of the native tibia for both UKA and TKA designs. Maximum stress at the bone-implant interface ranged from 1.2 MPa to 3.3 MPa compared with 1.3 MPa to 2.7 MPa for the native tibia. The conventional solid UKA and TKA implants reduced the maximum stress in the bone by a factor of 10 and caused > 70% of bone surface area to be underloaded compared to the native tibia. Conclusion. Titanium lattice implants maintained the natural mechanical loading in the proximal tibia after UKA and TKA, but conventional solid implants did not. This is an exciting first step towards implants that maintain bone health, but such implants also have to meet fatigue and micromotion criteria to be clinically viable. Cite this article: Bone Joint Res 2022;11(2):91–101

Open tibia fractures are common injuries in our paediatric population and are often associated with high-energy trauma such as pedestrian-vehicle accidents. At our institution, these injuries are routinely treated with debridement and mono-lateral external fixation. The purpose of this study was to determine the outcome of open tibia fractures treated according to this protocol, as well as the complication rate and factors contributing to the development of complications. We performed a retrospective folder review of all patients with open tibia fractures that were treated according to our protocol from 2015–2019. Patients treated by other means, who received primary treatment elsewhere, and with insufficient data, were excluded. Data was collected on presenting demographics, injury characteristics, management, and clinical course. Complications were defined as pin tract infections, delayed- or non-union, malunion, growth arrest, and neurovascular injury. Appropriate statistical analysis was performed. One-hundred-and-fifteen fractures in 114 children (82 males) with a median age of 7 years (IQR 6–9) were included in the analysis. Pedestrian vehicle accidents (PVA's) accounted for 101 (88%) of fractures, and the tibial diaphysis was affected in 74 cases (64%). Fracture severity was equally distributed among the Gustillo-Anderson grades. The median Abbreviated Injury Score was 4 (IQR 4;5). Ninety-five fractures (83%) progressed to uneventful union within 7 weeks. Twenty patients (17%) developed complications, with delayed union and fracture site infections being the most common complications. Gustillo-Anderson Grade 3 fractures, an increased Abbreviated Injury Score, and the need for advanced wound closure techniques were risk factors for developing complications. Surgical debridement and external fixation in a simple mono-lateral frame is an effective treatment for open tibia fractures in children and good outcomes were seen in 83% of patients. More severe injuries requiring advanced wound closure were associated with the development of complications

Introduction. Infected big gap non-union of femur and tibia are difficult to treatment because of infection, bone loss, shortening, poor sift tissue over and deformity. Step by step management and definitive treatment by Ilizarov fixator was achieved in our cases. Materials and Methods. A long defect which is more than 10cm in femur and tibia because of infection and gap, tumor resection, traumatic loss, which is very difficult to treat by conventional method and that's why we treated that type defect by Tibialization of fibula with Ilizarov technique. Management of infected big gap non-union of the femur include debridement and bone transport by Ilizarov technique by using Ilizarov fixator we can correct deformities, regenerate new bone without bone grafting, correct LLD and patient can weight bear during the course of treatment. We retrospectively reviewed records of 246 consecutive patients who underwent distraction osteogenesis using Ilizarov compression-distraction device for infected big gap INU of femur and tibia from 2000 to 2020. Results. All healed with the application of Ilizarov fixator, 5 needed reapplications of Ilizarov to achieve 100% union. 210 were excellent, 25 good and 6 were fair by ASAMI criteria. Mean Ilizarov duration was 366 days (130–250). Mean 8.2 cm length was achieved in the regenerate. Conclusions. A well plan step by step Ilizarov technique to cover infected gap non-union of femur and tibia is an excellent method in challenging cases. Excellent results cannot be achieved with conventional methods but can be easily achieved with Ilizarov technique within 1–2 years

Aims. This study aimed to identify the effect of anatomical tibial component (ATC) design on load distribution in the periprosthetic tibial bone of Koreans using finite element analysis (FEA). Methods. 3D finite element models of 30 tibiae in Korean women were created. A symmetric tibial component (STC, NexGen LPS-Flex) and an ATC (Persona) were used in surgical simulation. We compared the FEA measurements (von Mises stress and principal strains) around the stem tip and in the medial half of the proximal tibial bone, as well as the distance from the distal stem tip to the shortest anteromedial cortical bone. Correlations between this distance and FEA measurements were then analyzed. Results. The distance from the distal stem tip to the shortest cortical bone showed no statistically significant difference between implants. However, the peak von Mises stress around the distal stem tip was higher with STC than with ATC. In the medial half of the proximal tibial bone: 1) the mean von Mises stress, maximum principal strain, and minimum principal strain were higher with ATC; 2) ATC showed a positive correlation between the distance and mean von Mises stress; 3) ATC showed a negative correlation between the distance and mean minimum principal strain; and 4) STC showed no correlation between the distance and mean measurements. Conclusion. Implant design affects the load distribution on the periprosthetic tibial bone, and ATC can be more advantageous in preventing stress-shielding than STC. However, under certain circumstances with short distances, the advantage of ATC may be offset. Cite this article: Bone Joint Res 2022;11(5):252–259

Aims. To systematically review qualitative studies of patients with distal tibia or ankle fracture, and explore their experience of injury and recovery. Methods. We undertook a systematic review of qualitative studies. Five databases were searched from inception to 1 February 2022. All titles and abstracts were screened, and a subset were independently assessed. Methodological quality was appraised using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) checklist. The GRADE-CERQual checklist was used to assign confidence ratings. Thematic synthesis was used to analyze data with the identification of codes which were drawn together to form subthemes and then themes. Results. From 2,682 records, 15 studies were reviewed in full and four included in the review. A total of 72 patients were included across the four studies (47 female; mean age 50 years (17 to 80)). Methodological quality was high for all studies, and the GRADE-CERQual checklist provided confidence that the findings were an adequate representation of patient experience of distal tibia or ankle fracture. A central concept of ‘being the same but different’ conveyed the substantial disruption to patients’ self-identity caused by their injury. Patient experience of ‘being the same but different’ was expressed through three interrelated themes, with seven subthemes: i) being proactive where persistence, doing things differently and keeping busy prevailed; ii) living with change including symptoms, and living differently due to challenges at work and leisure; and iii) striving for normality, adapting while lacking in confidence, and feeling fearful and concerned about the future. Conclusion. Ankle injuries were disruptive, draining, and impacted on patients’ wellbeing. Substantial short- and longer-term challenges were experienced during recovery. Rehabilitation and psychosocial treatment strategies may help to ameliorate these challenges. Patients may benefit from clinicians being cognisant of patient experience when assessing, treating, and discussing expectations and outcomes with patients. Cite this article: Bone Jt Open 2023;4(3):188–197

This study aimed to investigate the outcomes of open tibia shaft fractures at a level one trauma center in a developing world setting. Specific objectives were to determine the association of time delay to antibiotic administration, surgical debridement, definitive skeletal stabilisation and soft tissue reconstruction, and the development of fracture-related infection (FRI). A retrospective cohort study included all adult patients with open tibia shaft fractures from July 2014 to June 2016 and January 2018 to December 2019. Patients who were skeletally immature at the time of injury, those with pathological fractures and who did not complete follow-up of at least three months were excluded. Patients were identified from hospital records. Data was captured in Microsoft Excel and analysed using STATISTICA. A Chi-squared was used to detect significant differences between groups. No association between infection and antibiotic administration was observed when patients were treated within or after 3 hours (p=0.625) or if patients had their first surgical debridement in theatre before or after 24 hours (p=0.259). Patients who waited more than five days for definitive skeletal fixation or soft tissue reconstruction had a significant increase in FRI (OR 4.7, 95% CI 2.0 – 10.9 and OR 4.7, 95% CI 2.0 – 11.0, respectively). Patients who underwent more than two formal debridements had a higher risk of developing FRI (OR 15.6, 95% CI 5.8 – 41.6). Whilst administration of antibiotics within 3 hours of presentation to the emergency unit had no impact on the development of FRI, time delays in managing open tibia shaft fractures are associated with an increased risk for FRI. Definitive soft tissue reconstruction and skeletal stabilization should not be delayed for more than five days

Aims. To describe outcome reporting variation and trends in non-pharmacological randomized clinical trials (RCTs) of distal tibia and/or ankle fractures. Methods. Five electronic databases and three clinical trial registries were searched (January 2000 to February 2022). Trials including patients with distal tibia and/or ankle fractures without concomitant injuries were included. One reviewer conducted all searches, screened titles and abstracts, assessed eligibility, and completed data extraction; a random 10% subset were independently assessed and extracted by a second reviewer at each stage. All extracted outcomes were mapped to a modified version of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health framework. The quality of outcome reporting (reproducibility) was assessed. Results. Overall, 105 trials (n = 16 to 669 participants) from 27 countries were included. Trials compared surgical interventions (n = 62), post-surgical management options (n = 17), rehabilitative interventions (n = 14), surgical versus non-surgical interventions (n = 6), and pre-surgical management strategies (n = 5). In total, 888 outcome assessments were reported across seven domains: 263 assessed body structure or function (85.7% of trials), 136 activities (68.6% of trials), 34 participation (23.8% of trials), 159 health-related quality of life (61.9% of trials), 247 processes of care (80% of trials), 21 patient experiences (15.2% of trials), and 28 economic impact (8.6% of trials). From these, 337 discrete outcomes were described. Outcome reporting was inconsistent across trials. The quality of reporting varied widely (reproducibility ranged 4.8% patient experience to 100% complications). Conclusion. Substantial heterogeneity in outcome selection, assessment methods, and reporting quality were described. Despite the large number of outcomes, few are reported across multiple trials. Most outcomes are clinically focused, with little attention to the long-term consequences important to patients. Poor reporting quality reduces confidence in data quality, inhibiting data synthesis by which to inform care decisions. Outcome reporting guidance and standardization, which captures the outcomes that matter to multiple stakeholders, are urgently required. Cite this article: Bone Jt Open 2022;3(10):832–840

Aims. The proximal tibia (PT) is the anatomical site most frequently affected by primary bone tumours after the distal femur. Reconstruction of the PT remains challenging because of the poor soft-tissue cover and the need to reconstruct the extensor mechanism. Reconstructive techniques include implantation of massive endoprosthesis (megaprosthesis), osteoarticular allografts (OAs), or allograft-prosthesis composites (APCs). Methods. This was a retrospective analysis of clinical data relating to patients who underwent proximal tibial arthroplasty in our regional bone tumour centre from 2010 to 2018. Results. A total of 76 patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria and were included in the study. Mean age at surgery was 43.2 years (12 to 86 (SD 21)). The mean follow-up period was 60.1 months (5.4 to 353). In total 21 failures were identified, giving an overall failure rate of 27.6%. Prosthesis survival at five years was 75.5%, and at ten years was 59%. At last follow-up, mean knee flexion was 89.8° (SD 36°) with a mean extensor lag of 18.1° (SD 24°). In univariate analysis, factors associated with better survival of the prosthesis were a malignant or metastatic cancer diagnosis (versus benign), with a five- and ten-year survival of 78.9% and 65.7% versus 37.5% (p = 0.045), while in-hospital length of stay longer than nine days was also associated with better prognosis with five- and ten-year survival rates at 84% and 84% versus 60% and 16% (p < 0.001). In multivariate analysis, only in-hospital length of stay was associated with longer survival (hazard ratio (HR) 0.23, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.08 to 0.66). Conclusion. We have shown that proximal tibial arthroplasty with endoprosthesis is a safe and reliable method for reconstruction in patients treated for orthopaedic oncological conditions. Either modular or custom implants in this series performed well. Cite this article: Bone Jt Open 2022;3(9):733–740

Introduction: The Expert Tibia Nail was designed to address proximal, shaft, segmental and distal tibia fractures in one implant. Multiple locking options in various directions provide more stability and reduce the risk of secondary malalignment. Angle stable cancellous bone locking screws in the tibia head also improve fixation. We evaluated this new implant in our series in a prospective, multicenter setting. Methods: 190 patients were treated in 10 participating centers using the Expert Tibia Nail (Synthes). 127 patients suffered polytrauma, 58 presented as open fractures. Within the framework of the study 5 cases were proximal tibia fractures, 108 shaft fractures, 56 distal fractures, and 21 segmental fractures. These were followed-up postoperatively, after 3 months and one year and evaluated radiologically and clinically with regard to malalignment, union rate and complications. Results: Non union occurred in 9 cases after one year of follow up (n=150). 20 patients showed delayed union. The rate of open and complex fractures was high in this group. Dynamisation was performed in 10 cases. Valgus/varus and recurvatum/antecurvatum malalignment of more than 5 degrees occurred in 13 cases. Stable reduction was achieved in 144 cases. In 4 complex fractures, initial reduction went into malalignment. 2 patients developed a deep infection after 3rd degree open fractures. 34 patients suffered from pain in the operated area. 6 screws broke during the follow-up. Discussion: The Expert Tibia Nail proved to be an excellent tool to treat tibia fractures. Not only shaft fractures but also complex fractures in the proximal and distal metaphyseal area can be successfully stabilized due to advanced locking options and design of the nail. The rate of malalignment, non-union and complications was low

Abstract. Objectives. Unicompartmental and total knee arthroplasty (UKA and TKA) are successful treatments for osteoarthritis, but monolithic implants disrupt the natural homeostasis of bone which leads to bone loss over time. This can cause problems if the implant needs to be revised. This study aimed to demonstrate that tibial implants made from titanium lattice could replace the tibial condyle surface while minimising disruption of the bone's natural mechanical loading environment. A secondary aim was to determine whether implants perform better if they replicate more closely bone's mechanical modulus, anisotropy and spatial heterogeneity. This study was conducted in a human cadaveric model. Methods. In a cadaveric model, UKA and TKA procedures were performed on 8 fresh-frozen knee specimens by a board-certified consultant orthopaedic surgeon, using tibial implants made from conventional monolithic material and titanium lattice structures. Stress at the bone-implant interfaces was measured with pressure film and compared to the native knee. Results. Titanium lattice implants were able to restore the mechanical environment seen in the native tibia for both UKA and TKA designs. Maximum stress at the bone-implant interface ranged from 1.2–3.3MPa compared to 1.3–2.7MPa for the native tibia. The conventional UKA and TKA implants reduced the maximum stress in the bone by a factor of 10 and 9.7 respectively. The conventional UKA and TKA implants caused 71% and 77% of bone surface area to be underloaded compared to the native tibia. Conclusions. Titanium lattice implants can maintain the natural mechanical loading in the proximal tibia after UKA and TKA. This may help maintain normal bone homeostasis throughout the life of the implant. These encouraging data indicate normal bone homeostasis can be maintained after arthroplasty using manufacturing methods already in widespread use. This would maintain bone quality throughout the life of the implant and alleviate complications at revision surgery

Introduction. Correction of multiplanar bone deformities in children is indicated for prevention of secondary orthopaedic complications. Different problems related to surgical intervention were reported: non-union, delayed union, recurrent deformity, refracture, nerve palsy and pin tract infection. The aim of this study was to show the results of children femur and tibia bowing deformities by Ilizarov technique. Materials and Methods. We analysed 27 cases of children femur and tibia bowing deformities under the age of 13 yrs. Simultaneous deformity correction in femur and tibia was done with Ilizarov device in ipsilateral side. Contralateral side was operated after 14 days. Results. The duration of Ilizarov fixation was 130 days on an average. The deformity correction was achieved with a proper alignment in all the cases. Conclusions. Bowing of femur and tibia can be corrected simultaneously by Ilizarov fixation with minimum complications. There were no recurrent deformities in our cases

Aims. The aim of this study was to report the results of three forms of reconstruction for patients with a ditsl tibial bone tumour: an intercalary resection and reconstruction, an osteoarticular reconstruction, and arthrodesis of the ankle. Methods. A total of 73 patients with a median age of 19 years (interquartile range (IQR) 14 to 36) were included in this retrospective, multicentre study. Results. Reconstructions included intercalary resection in 17 patients, osteoarticular reconstruction in 11, and ankle arthrodesis in 45. The median follow-up was 77 months (IQR 35 to 130). Local recurrence occurred in eight patients after a median of 14 months (IQR 9 to 36), without a correlation with adequacy of margins or reconstructive technique. Major complications included fracture of the graft in ten patients, nonunion of the proximal osteotomy in seven, and infection in five. In the osteoarticular group, three of 11 patients developed radiological evidence of severe osteoarthritis, but only one was symptomatic and required conversion to ankle arthrodesis. Functional evaluation showed higher values of the Musculoskeletal Tumour Society (MSTS) and American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) scores in the intercalary group compared with the others. Conclusion. Preservation of the epiphysis in patients with a distal tibial bone tumour is a safe and effective form of limb-sparing treatment. It requires rigorous preoperative planning after accurate analysis of the imaging. When joint-sparing resection is not indicated, ankle arthrodesis, either isolated tibiotalar or combined tibiotalar and subtalar arthrodesis, should be preferred over osteoarticular reconstruction. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2020;102-B(11):1567–1573

µCT images are commonly analysed to assess changes in bone density and architecture in preclinical murine models. Several platforms provide automated analysis of bone architecture parameters from volumetric regions of interest (ROI). However, segmentation of the regions of subchondral bone to create the volumetric ROIs remains a manual and time-consuming task. This study aimed to develop and evaluate automated pipelines for trabecular bone architecture analysis of mouse proximal tibia subchondral bone. A segmented dataset involving 62 knees (healthy and arthritic) from 10-week male C57BL/6 mice were used to train a U-Net type architecture, with µCT scans (downsampled) input that output segmentation and bone volume density (BV/TV) of the subchondral trabecular bone. Segmentations were upsampled and used in tandem with the original scans (10µ) as input for architecture analysis along with the thresholded trabecular bone. The analysis considered the manually and U-Net segmented ROIs using two available pipelines: the ITKBoneMorphometry library and CTan (SKYSCAN). The analyses included: bone volume (BV), total volume (TV), BV/TV, trabecular number (TbN), trabecular thickness (TbTh), trabecular separation (TbSp), and bone surface density (BSBV). There was good agreement for bone measures between the manual and U-Net pipelines utilizing ITK (R=0.88-0.98) and CTan (R=0.91-0.98). ITK and CTan showed good agreement for BV, TV, BV/TV, TbTh and BSBV (R=0.9-0.98). However, a limited agreement was seen between TbN (R=0.73) and TbSb (R=0.59) due to methodological differences in how spacing is evaluated. This U-Net/ITK pipeline seamlessly automated both segmentation and quantification of the proximal tibia subchondral bone. This automated pipeline allows the analysis of large volumes of data, and its open-source nature may enable the standardization of stereologic analysis of trabecular bone across different research groups

Aims. The modified Radiological Union Scale for Tibia (mRUST) fractures score was developed in order to assess progress to union and define a numerical assessment of fracture healing of metadiaphyseal fractures. This score has been shown to be valuable in predicting radiological union; however, there is no information on the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of this index for various cut-off scores. The aim of this study is to evaluate sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and cut-off points of the mRUST score for the diagnosis of metadiaphyseal fractures healing. Methods. A cohort of 146 distal femur fractures were retrospectively identified at our institution. After excluding AO/OTA type B fractures, nonunions, follow-up less than 12 weeks, and patients aged less than 16 years, 104 sets of radiographs were included for analysis. Anteroposterior and lateral femur radiographs at six weeks, 12 weeks, 24 weeks, and final follow-up were separately scored by three surgeons using the mRUST score. The sensitivity and specificity of mean mRUST score were calculated using clinical and further radiological findings as a gold standard for ultimate fracture healing. A receiver operating characteristic curve was also performed to determine the cut-off points at each time point. Results. The mean mRUST score of ten at 24 weeks revealed a 91.9% sensitivity, 100% specificity, and 92.6% accuracy of predicting ultimate fracture healing. A cut-off point of 13 points revealed 41.9% sensitivity, 100% specificity, and 46.9% accuracy at the same time point. Conclusion. The mRUST score of ten points at 24 weeks can be used as a viable screening method with the highest sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy for healing of metadiaphyseal femur fractures. However, the cut-off point of 13 increases the specificity to 100%, but decreases sensitivity. Furthermore, the mRUST score should not be used at six weeks, as results show an inability to accurately predict eventual fracture healing at this time point. Cite this article: Bone Jt Open 2021;2(10):796–805

Abstract. Congenital posteromedial bowing of tibia (CPMBT) progresses with decreasing deformity and increasing shortening. Lengthening in CPMBT has not been studied extensively. Our series compares duration and complications of lengthening in younger vs older children. Methods. 28 tibial lengthenings (23 patients) by a single surgeon, divided into two equal groups of 14 segments: group-A ≤ 5 years, Group-B > 5 years. Lengthening was done in all with external fixators. We measured preoperative (bo) and postoperative (po) deformities, initial limb length discrepancy (LLD), LLD at maturity (LLDm), % LLD, amount of lengthening (AmtL) and %L, external fixator duration (EFD) and external fixator index (EFI). We graded complications by Lascombes' criteria, results by ASAMI Bone score. Results. Mean age was 8.8 ± 7.1 years. Follow-up was 7.9 years. Group-A had significantly greater preoperative deformities. LLD was similar in both. Expected LLD at maturity (LLDM) using the multiplier method was greater than previously reported (group-A: 4.4 – 9.5 cm; group-B: 2.5 – 9.7 cm).%L was 24% in group-A and 15.7% in group-B (p=0.002). EFD and EFI were lesser in group-A than group-B. Lascombes' triple contract was fulfilled in 11/14 lengthenings in group-A vs. 3/14 in group-B. ASAMI bone score was good and excellent in both groups. Conclusions. In our large series of CPMBT lenghtenings, we found younger children presenting with large deformities and LLDm could be safely lengthened with lesser EFD and complications than older children

Introduction. Bone transport and distraction osteogenesis have been shown to be an effective treatment for significant bone loss in the tibia. However, traditional methods of transport are often associated with high patient morbidity due to the pain and scarring caused by the external frame components transporting the bone segment. Prolonged time in frame is also common as large sections of regenerate need significant time to consolidate before the external fixator can be removed. Cable transport has had a resurgence with the description of the balanced cable transport system. However, this introduced increasingly complex surgery along with the risk of cable weave fracture. This method also requires frame removal and intramedullary nailing, with a modified nail, to be performed in a single sitting, which raised concern regarding potential deep infection. An alternative to this method is our modified cable transport system with early intramedullary nail fixation. Internal cables reduce pain and scarring of the skin during transport and allow for well controlled transport segment alignment. The cable system is facilitated through an endosteal plate that reduces complications and removes the need for a single-stage frame removal and nailing procedure. Instead, the patients can undergo a pin-site holiday before nailing is performed using a standard tibial nail. Early intramedullary nailing once transport is complete reduces overall time in frame and allows full weight bearing as the regenerate consolidates. We present our case series of patients treated with this modified cable transport technique. Methodolgy. Patients were identified through our limb reconstruction database and clinic notes, operative records and radiographs were reviewed. Since 2019, 8 patients (5 male : 3 female) have undergone bone transport via our modified balanced cable transport technique. Average age at time of transport was 39.6 years (range 21–58 years) with all surgeries performed by the senior author. Patients were followed up until radiological union. We recorded the length of bone transport achieved as well as any problems, obstacles or complications encountered during treatment. We evaluated outcomes of full weight bearing and return to function as well as radiological union. Results. 4/8 bone defects were due to severely comminuted open fractures requiring extensive debridement. All other cases had previously undergone fixation of tibial fractures which had failed due to infection, soft tissue defects or mal-reduction. The mean tibial defect treated with bone transport was 41mm (range 37–78mm). From the start of cable transport to removal of external fixator our patients spent an average of 201 days in frame. 7/8 patients underwent a 2-week pin-site holiday and subsequent insertion of intramedullary nail 2 weeks later. One patient had sufficient bony union to not require further internal fixation after frame removal. 10 problems were identified during treatment. These included 4 superficial infections treated with antibiotics alone and 5 issues with hardware, which could be resolved in the outpatient clinic. 1 patient had their rate of transport slowed due to poor skin quality over the site of the regenerate. 4 obstacles resulted in a return to theatre for additional procedures. 1 patient had a re-do corticotomy and 3 had revision of their internal cable transport constructs due to decoupling or screw pull out. 1 patient had residual ankle joint equinus following treatment which required an Achilles tendon lengthening procedure. Another patient underwent treatment for DVT. There were no deep infections identified and no significant limb length discrepancies or deformities. Conclusions. Overall, we have found that our modified balanced cable transport technique has allowed for successful bone transport for significant defects of the tibia. We have learned from the obstacles encountered during this case series to avoid unnecessary return trips to theatre for our future transport patients. The internal cable system allowed all patients to complete their planned transport without excessive pin tract scarring or pain. Early conversion to intramedullary nail allowed for a shorter time in frame with continued full weight bearing as the regenerate consolidated. No metalwork failure or deformity has occurred in relation to docking site union. All patients have made a good return to pre-operative function during their follow-up period with no evidence of late complications such as deep infection

Abstract. Introduction. Medial fix bearing unicompartmental knee replacement (UKR) designs are consider safe and effective implants with many registries data and big cohort series showing excellent survivorship and clinical outcome comparable to that reported for the most expensive and surgically challenging medial UKR mobile bearing designs. However, whether all polyethylene tibial components (all-poly) provided comparable results to metal-backed modular components during medial fix bearing UKR remains unclear. There have been previous suggestions that all-poly tibia UKR implants might show unacceptable higher rates of early failure due to tibial component early loosening especially in high body max index (BMI) patients. This study aims to find out the short and long-term survival rate of all-poly tibia UKR and its relationship with implant thickness and patient demographics including sex, age, ASA and BMI. Material and Methods. we present the results of a series of 388 medial fixed bearing all-polly tibia UKR done in our institution by a single surgeon between 2007–2019. Results. We found out excellent implant survival with this all-poly tibia UKR design with 5 years survival rate: 96.42%, 7 years survival rate: 95.33%, and 10 years survival rate: 91.87%. Only 1.28% had early revision within 2 years. Conclusion. Fixed bearing medial all-poly tibia UKR shows excellent survivor rate at 2, 5, 7 and 10 years follow up and the survival rate is not related with sex, age, BMI, ASA grade or implant thickness. Contrary to the popular belief, we found out that only 1.71% of all implants was revised due to implant loosening

Objectives. Open fracture classification systems are limited in their use. Our objective was to classify open tibia and femur fractures using the OTS classification system in a region with high incidence of gunshot fractures. One hundred and thirty-seven patients with diaphyseal tibia and femur open fractures were identified from a prospectively collected cohort of patients. This database contained all cases (closed and open fractures) of tibial and femoral intramedullary nailed patients older than 18 years old during the period of September 2017 to May 2021. Exclusion criteria included closed fractures, non-viable limbs, open fractures > 48 hours to first surgical debridement and patients unable to follow up over a period of 12 months (a total of 24). Open fractures captured and classified in the HOST study using the Gustilo-Anderson classification, were reviewed and reclassified using the OTS open fracture classification system, analysing gunshot fractures in particular. Ninety percent were males with a mean age of 34. Most common mechanism was civilian gunshot wounds (gsw) in 54.7% of cases. In 52.6% of cases soft tissue management was healing via secondary intention, these not encompassed in the classification. Fracture classification was OTS Simple in 23.4%, Complex B in 24.1% and 52.6% of cases unclassified. The OTS classification system was not comprehensive in the classification of open tibia and femur fractures in a setting of high incidence of gunshot fractures. An amendment has been proposed to alter acute management to appropriate wound care and to subcategorise Simple into A and B subdivisions; no soft tissue intervention and primary closure respectively. This will render the OTS classification system more inclusive to all open fractures of all causes with the potential to better guide patient care and clinical research

Introduction. Congenital posteromedial bowing of tibia (CPMBT) is characterized by a decreasing deformity and an increasing limb shortening. Our series compares the duration and complications of lengthening in younger vs older children. Materials and Methods. We studied 28 tibial lengthenings in 23 patients, divided into two equal groups of 14 segments: group-A ≤5 years (preschool) and Group-B >5 years. We measured preoperative (bo) and postoperative (po) sagittal, coronal, and oblique plane deformities, limb length discrepancy (LLD), amount of lengthening (AmtL), percentage lengthening (%L), external fixator duration (EFD) and external fixator index (EFI). Complications were graded by Lascombes’ criteria, results by ASAMI Bone score. Results. Mean age= 8.8 ± 7.1 years; mean follow-up= 7.9 years. Group-A had significantly greater bo-sagittal, coronal, and oblique plane deformities. LLD (3.4 cm in group-A vs. 4.1 cm in group-B) was similar in both. LLD at maturity (LLD. M. ) by multiplier method ranged 4.4–9.5 cm in group-A and 2.5–9.7 cm in group-B. Though AmtL (3.5 cm and 4.1 cm) was similar in both, %L was 24% in group-A and 15.7% in group-B (p=0.002). EFD (116.6 days) and EFI (33.7 days/cm) were lesser in group-A vs group-B (200.3 days, p=0.001; 50.2 days/cm, p=0.01). Lascombes’ criteria were fulfilled in 11/14 lengthenings in group-A vs. 3/14 in group-B. ASAMI bone score was good and excellent in both groups (p=0.44). Conclusions. Younger children with large deformities and LLD. M. could be safely lengthened with lesser external fixator duration and complications than in older children

Abstract. Approximately 20% of primary and revision Total Knee Arthroplasty (TKA) patients require multiple revisions, which are associated with poor survivorship, with worsening outcomes for subsequent revisions. For revision surgery, either endoprosthetic replacements or metaphyseal sleeves can be used for the repair, however, in cases of severe defects that are deemed “too severe” for reconstruction, endoprosthetic replacement of the affected area is recommended. However, endoprosthetic replacements have been associated with high complication rates (high incidence rates of prosthetic joint infection), while metaphyseal sleeves have a more acceptable complication profile and are therefore preferred. Despite this, no guidance exists as to the maximal limit of bone loss, which is acceptable for the use of metaphyseal sleeves to ensure sufficient axial and rotational stability. Therefore, this study assessed the effect of increasing bone loss on the primary stability of the metaphyseal sleeve in the proximal tibia to determine the maximal bone loss that retains axial and rotational stability comparable to a no defect control. Methods. to determine the pattern of bone loss and the average defect size that corresponds to the clinically defined defect sizes of small, medium and large defects, a series of pre-operative x-rays of patients with who underwent revision TKA were retrospectively analysed. Ten tibiae sawbones were used for the experiment. To prepare the bones, the joint surface was resected the typical resection depth required during a primary TKA (10mm). Each tibia was secured distally in a metal pot with perpendicular screws to ensure rotational and axial fixation to the testing machine. Based on X-ray findings, a fine guide wire was placed 5mm below the cut joint surface in the most medial region of the plateau. Core drills (15mm, 25mm and 35mm) corresponding to small, medium and large defects were passed over the guide wire allowing to act at the centre point, before the bone defect was created. The test was carried out on a control specimen with no defect, and subsequently on a Sawbone with a small, medium or large defect. Sleeves were inserted using the published operative technique, by trained individual using standard instruments supplied by the manufacturers. Standard axial pull-out (0 – 10mm) force and torque (0 – 30°) tests were carried out, recording the force (N) vs. displacement (mm) curves. Results. A circular defect pattern was identified across all defects, with the centre of the defect located 5mm below the medial tibial base plate, and as medial as possible. Unlike with large defects, small and medium sized defects reduced the pull-out force and torque at the bone-implant interface, however, these reductions were not statistically significant when compared to no bony defect. Conclusions. This experimental study demonstrated that up to 35mm radial defects may be an acceptable “critical limit” for bone loss below which metaphyseal sleeve use may still be appropriate. Further clinical assessment may help to confirm the findings of this experimental study. This study is the first in the literature to aim to quantify “critical bone loss” limit in the tibia for revision knee arthroplasty. Declaration of Interest. (a) fully declare any financial or other potential conflict of interest

Aims. Open fractures of the tibia are a heterogeneous group of injuries that can present a number of challenges to the treating surgeon. Consequently, few surgeons can reliably advise patients and relatives about the expected outcomes. The aim of this study was to determine whether these outcomes are predictable by using the Ganga Hospital Score (GHS). This has been shown to be a useful method of scoring open injuries to inform wound management and decide between limb salvage and amputation. Methods. We collected data on 182 consecutive patients with a type II, IIIA, or IIIB open fracture of the tibia who presented to our hospital between July and December 2016. For the purposes of the study, the patients were jointly treated by experienced consultant orthopaedic and plastic surgeons who determined the type of treatment. Separately, the study team (SP, HS, AD, JD) independently calculated the GHS and prospectively collected data on six outcomes for each patient. These included time to bony union, number of admissions, length of hospital stay, total length of treatment, final functional score, and number of operations. Spearman’s correlation was used to compare GHS with each outcome. Forward stepwise linear regression was used to generate predictive models based on components of the GHS. Five-fold cross-validation was used to prevent models from over-fitting. Results. The mean follow-up was 11.4 months (3 to 31). The mean time to union was 9.7 months (3 to 21), the mean number of operations was 2.8 (1 to 11), the mean time in hospital was 17.7 days (5 to 84), the mean length of treatment was 92.7 days (5 to 730), the mean number of admissions was 1.7 (1 to 6), and the mean functional score (Lower Extremity Functional Score (LEFS)) was 60.13 (33 to 80). There was a significant correlation between the GHS and each of the outcome measures. A predictive model was generated from which the GHS could be used to predict the various outcome measures. Conclusion. The GHS can be used to predict the outcome of patients who present with an open fracture of the tibia. Our model generates a numerical value for each outcome measure that can be used in clinical practice to inform the treating team and to advise patients. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2020;102-B(1):26–32

Purpose. Addressing posterior tibial plateau fractures is increasingly recognized as an important prognostic factor for functional outcome. The treatment of posterior tibial plateau fractures is rather demanding and the implants are still standard, off-the-shelf implants. This emphasizes the need for a more thorough morphological study of the posterior tibial plateau, in order to treat these posterior fractures more adequately. We aimed to demonstrate anatomical variations of the tibia in order to develop better implants. Method. After approval of the ethical committee 22 historically available CT scans of intact left tibia”s were segmented using Mimics (Materialise, Belgium). In order to perform principal component analysis, corresponding meshes are necessary. Mesh correspondence was achieved by deforming one selected source tibia to every other target tibia, through non rigid registration. The non-rigid registration algorithm was based on the algorithm described by Amberg et al (ref). After performing the non-rigid registration, principal component analysis was performed in Matlab (Mathworks, USA). Results. The first 3 components account for 98,1% of the anatomical shape variation of the tibia. The first principal component accounts for 95,4, the second accounts for 1,6% and the third component accounts for the remaining 1,1% of variation. In the first principal component the most marked variation was the length and the shaft width. Shorter tibia”s have a steeper and more angled posterior medial and lateral plateau as where longer tibia”s have a more rounded posterior tibia plateau. On the distal end, the tip of the medial malleolus is more prominent in shorter tibia”s than in longer tibia”s. The orientation of the tibiofibular joint is directed more posteriorly in larger tibias where it is orientated more laterally in smaller tibia”s. The slope of the medial and lateral tibia plateau is not related to the length or width of the plateau. The second principal component shows a relationship between a valgus shaped tibia shaft and its relation to a relatively smaller medial plateau”s compared with straight tibia”s of the same length. Valgus shaped, small tibia shafts have more posteriorly tilted lateral plateau”s compared with straight, broad shafted tibias. The third principal component shows that an angular shaped posterior tibia plateau is related to a more increased anterior bowing. The increase in the posterior tilt is mostly marked in the medial tibia plateau. Conclusion. The majority of tibia shape variations is directly related to the length of the shaft. The clinically known varus and valgus deformations represent only a small percentage of the total variation. Nevertheless, their variation within the second component is large and has a direct relation to the morphology of the tibia plateau. This data coud furthermore be used to improve implant design

Aim. Differentiation of infected (INF) nonunion from aseptic (AS) nonunion is crucial for the choice of intra- and postoperative treatment. Preoperative diagnosis of infected nonunion is challenging, especially in case of low-grade infection lacking clinical signs of infection. Standard blood markers such as C-reactive protein or leucocyte count do not aid in preoperative diagnosis. Proteomic profiling has shown promising results for differentiation of numerous chronic disease states, and in this study was applied to preoperative blood samples of patients with nonunion in an attempt to identify potential biomarkers. Method. This prospective multicenter study enrolled patients undergoing revision surgery of femur or tibia nonunion. Patients with implant removal after regular fracture healing (HEAL) were included as a control-group. Preoperative blood samples, intraoperative tissue samples, sonication of osteosynthesis material and 1-year-follow-up questionnaire were taken. Nonunion patients were grouped into INF or AS after assessing bacterial culture and histopathology of retrieved samples. Diagnosis of infection followed the fracture related infection consensus group criteria, with additional consideration of healing one year after revision surgery. Targeted proteomics was used to investigate a predefined panel of 45 cytokines in preoperative blood samples. Statistical differences were calculated with Kruskal Wallis and Dunn's post hoc test. Cytokines with less than 80% of samples being above the lower limit of detection range (LLDR) were excluded for this study. Results. We recruited 62 AS, 43 INF and 32 HEAL patients. Patients in the two nonunion groups (INF and AS) did not differ concerning smoking, diabetes or initial open or closed fracture. Thirty-two cytokines were above LLDR in >80% of patients. INF patients showed a significant difference in expression of 8 cytokines compared to AS, with greatest differences observed for Macrophage Colony Stimulating Factor 1 (MCSF-1) and Hepatocyte Growth Factor (HGF) (p<0.01). In comparing AS with HEAL patients, 9 cytokines displayed significant differences, including interleukin (IL)-6, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A (VEGFA), Matrix Metalloproteinase 1 (MMP-1). Comparison of INF with HEAL patients revealed significantly different expression of 20 cytokines, including. IL-6, IL-18, VEGFA or MMP-1. Conclusions. Our study revealed differences in plasma cytokine profile of blood samples from INF and AS patients. Although no single biomarker is sufficient to differentiate these patients preoperatively in isolation, future multivariant analysis of this cytokine data in combination with clinical characteristics may provide valuable diagnostic insights. Funded by German Social Accident Insurance (FF-FR 0276) and AO Trauma (AR2021_04)

Aims. Eight-plates are used to correct varus-valgus deformity (VVD) or limb-length discrepancy (LLD) in children and adolescents. It was reported that these implants might create a bony deformity within the knee joint by change of the roof angle (RA) after epiphysiodesis of the proximal tibia following a radiological assessment limited to anteroposterior (AP) radiographs. The aim of this study was to analyze the RA, complemented with lateral knee radiographs, with focus on the tibial slope (TS) and the degree of deformity correction. Methods. A retrospective, single-centre study was conducted. The treatment group (n = 64 knees in 44 patients) was subclassified according to the implant location in two groups: 1) medial hemiepiphysiodesis; and 2) lateral hemiepiphysiodesis. A third control group consisted of 25 untreated knees. The limb axes and RA were measured on long standing AP leg radiographs. Lateral radiographs of 40 knees were available for TS analysis. The mean age of the patients was 10.6 years (4 to 15) in the treatment group and 8.4 years (4 to 14) in the control group. Implants were removed after a mean 1.2 years (0.5 to 3). Results. No significant differences in RA (p = 0.174) and TS (p = 0.787) were observed. The limb axes were significantly corrected in patients with VVD (p < 0.001). The change in tibial slope (∆TS) did not correlate (r = -0.026; p = 0.885) to the plate’s position on the physis when assessed by lateral radiographs. Conclusion. We were not able to confirm the reported change in the bony morphology of the proximal tibia on AP radiographs in our patient population. In addition, no significant change in TS was detected on the lateral radiographs. A significant correction of the VVD in the lower limb axes was evident. Position of the implant did not correlate with TS change. Therefore, eight-plate epiphysiodesis is a safe and effective procedure for correcting VVD in children without disturbing the knee joint morphology. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2020;102-B(10):1412–1418

Aims. We retrospectively report our experience of managing 30 patients with a primary malignant tumour of the distal tibia; 25 were treated by limb salvage surgery and five by amputation. We compared the clinical outcomes of following the use of different methods of reconstruction. Patients and Methods. There were 19 male and 11 female patients. The mean age of the patients was 19 years (6 to 59) and the mean follow-up was 5.1 years (1.25 to 12.58). Massive allograft was used in 11 patients, and autograft was used in 14 patients. The time to union, the survival time of the reconstruction, complication rate, and functional outcomes following the different surgical techniques were compared. The overall patient survival was also recorded. Results. Out of 14 patients treated with an autograft, 12 (86%) achieved union at both the proximal and distal junctions. The time to union at both junctions of the autograft was significantly shorter than in those treated with an allograft (11.1 vs 17.2 months, p = 0.02; 9.5 vs 16.2 months, p = 0.04). The complication rate of allograft reconstruction was 55%. The five patients treated with an amputation did not have a complication. Out of the 25 patients who were treated with limb salvage, three (12%) developed local recurrence and underwent amputation. The mean functional Musculoskeletal Tumor Society (MSTS) score after autograft reconstruction was higher than after allograft reconstruction (81% vs 67%; p = 0.06), and similar to that after amputation (81% vs 82%; p = 0.82). The two- and five-year overall rates of survival were 83% and 70%, respectively. Conclusions. This consecutive case series supports the safety of limb salvage and the effectiveness of biological reconstruction after the resection of a primary tumour of the distal tibia. Autograft might be a preferable option. In some circumstances, below-knee amputation remains a valid option

Aims. Pin-site infection remains a significant problem for patients treated by external fixation. A randomized trial was undertaken to compare the weekly use of alcoholic chlorhexidine (CHX) for pin-site care with an emollient skin preparation in patients with a tibial fracture treated with a circular frame. Methods. Patients were randomized to use either 0.5% CHX or Dermol (DML) 500 emollient pin-site care. A skin biopsy was taken from the tibia during surgery to measure the dermal and epidermal thickness and capillary, macrophage, and T-cell counts per high-powered field. The pH and hydration of the skin were measured preoperatively, at follow-up, and if pin-site infection occurred. Pin-site infection was defined using a validated clinical system. Results. Out of 116 patients who were enrolled in the study, 23 patients (40%) in the CHX group and 26 (44%) in the DML group had at least one bad or ugly pin-site infection. This difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.71). There was no significant relationship between pH or hydration of the skin and pin-site infection. The epidermal thickness was found to be significantly greater in patients who had a pin-site infection compared with those who did not (p = 0.01). Skin irritation requiring a change of treatment occurred in four patients (7%) using CHX, and none using DML. Conclusion. We found no significant difference in the incidence of pin-site infection between the CHX and DML treatment groups. Dermol appeared to offer a small but significant advantage in terms of tolerability. We did not find a significant association between patient or treatment related factors and pin-site infection. It is therefore difficult to make specific recommendations based upon these results. The use of either cleaning agent appears to be appropriate. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2021;103-B(2):279–285

Introduction and Objective. The geometry of the proximal tibia and distal femur is intimately linked with the biomechanics of the knee and it is to be considered in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) component positioning. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the proximal tibial torsion in relation to the flexion-extension axis of the knee in healthy and pathological cohort affected by knee osteoarthritis (OA). Materials and Methods. We retrospectively analyzed computed tomography scans of OA knee of 59 patients prior to TKA and non-arthritic knee of 39 patients as control. Posterior condylar angle (PCA), femoral tibial torsion (TEAs-PTC and TEAs-PTT), proximal tibial torsion (PTC-PTT and PCAx-PTC) and distance between tibial tuberosity and the trochlear groove (TT-TG) were measured. Results. No differences were found for gender, age, TG-TT and PCAn angles. Statistically significant differences were found for all the other angles considered. Significant relation was found between Tibial Torsion and TEA-PTT angles, between PCAx-PTC and TEA-PTC, between TEA-PTT and TEA-PTC and between PCAx-PTC and TEA-PTT. All measures, except TG-TT and PCAn angles, showed high validity (AUC > 75%) in detecting OA, with TEA-PTT displaying the highest validity with an AUC of 94.38%. Conclusions. This is the first study to find significant differences in terms of proximal tibia geometry and anatomy between non arthritic and OA knees. It is conceivable that such anatomy could be implicated in the development of OA. Based on our data, the TEAs is a valid reference for correct positioning of tibial component in TKA. Indeed, setting the tibial component parallel to TEAs makes the prosthetic knee more similar to the native non-arthritic knee

Aims. Many authors have reported a shorter treatment time when using trifocal bone transport (TFT) rather than bifocal bone transport (BFT) in the management of long segmental tibial bone defects. However, the difference in the incidence of additional procedures, the true complications, and the final results have not been investigated. Patients and Methods. A total of 86 consecutive patients with a long tibial bone defect (≥ 8 cm), who were treated between January 2008 and January 2015, were retrospectively reviewed. A total of 45 were treated by BFT and 41 by TFT. The median age of the 45 patients in the BFT group was 43 years (interquartile range (IQR) 23 to 54). Results. The size of the bone defect was significantly longer (p = 0.005), the number of previous operations was significantly higher (p < 0.001), the operating time was significantly longer (p < 0.001), and the bone transport distance was significantly increased (p = 0.017) in the TFT group. However, the external fixation time (p < 0.001), the healing index (p < 0.001), the number of additional procedures (p = 0.013), and the number of true complications (p < 0.001) were significantly reduced in this group. Both groups achieved highly satisfactory bone and functional results. Conclusion. TFT can significantly reduce the treatment time, the number of additional surgical procedures, and true complications compared with BFT in the treatment of long segmental tibial bone defects

Abstract. Introduction. Ankle arthritis is estimated to affect approximately 72 million people worldwide. Treatment options include fusion and total ankle replacement (TAR). Clinical performance of TAR is not as successful as other joint replacement and failure is poorly understood. Finite element analysis offers a method to assess the strain in bone implanted with a TAR. Higher strain has been associated with microfracture and alters the bone-implant interface. The aim of this study was to explore the influence of implant fixation on strain within the tibia when implanted with a TAR through subject-specific models. Methods. Five cadaveric ankles were scanned using a Scanco Xtreme CT. The Tibia and Talus were segmented from each scan and virtually implanted with a Zenith TAR (Corin, UK) according to published surgical technique. Patient specific models were created and run at five different positions of the gait cycle corresponding to peak load and flexion values identified from literature. Bone material properties were derived from CT greyscale values and all parts were meshed with linear tetrahedral elements. The implant-bone interface was adjusted to fully-fixed or frictionless contact, representing different levels of fixation post-surgery. Strain distributions around the tibial bone fixation were measured. Results. Initial results showed clear differences in strain distributions both between different ankle specimens and fixation levels, with highest strain occurring within the bone at the tip of the tibial stem. Frictionless contact gave higher strain outputs than fully-fixed for all specimens with a range 0.12–0.3% and 0.07%–0.13% respectively. Conclusions. In all specimens, strain was higher in the frictionless contact, which may be considered representative of no bony ingrowth, highlighting fixation may be a critical factor in TAR failure. Differences observed between specimens highlights that TAR may not be a suitable intervention for all patients, due to variation in bone quality and anatomy. Declaration of Interest. (b) declare that there is no conflict of interest that could be perceived as prejudicing the impartiality of the research reported:I declare that there is no conflict of interest that could be perceived as prejudicing the impartiality of the research project

Introduction. To determine the advantages and risks of plating after lengthening (PAL) of tibia in children and adolescents. Materials and Methods. 35 consecutive tibial lengthenings were done for limb length discrepancy (LLD) in 26 patients. Gradual lengthening by an external fixator from a tibial (usually diaphyseal) osteotomy was followed by internal fixation with a lateral tibial submuscular plate. The mean age at the time of the lengthening was 10.3 years (4.8 – 16.8 years). The aetiology for LLD was congenital in 21, acquired in 3, and developmental in 2 patients. The mean follow-up was 4.3 years (8 months – 9.9 years). Results. The mean lengthening was 5cm (3–8.6cm) or 19.1% (10.8 – 35.2%) of the initial length of tibia. It took 78.8 days to reach the target length at a lengthening rate of 0.75mm/day. The mean time to plate substitution after cessation of lengthening was 24.7days/109 days after osteotomy. This led to an average external fixation index (EFI) of 23.1days/cm. Optimisation of this technique by judicious estimation of timing of plate substitution would reduce the EFI. Consolidation was recorded at 192 days after osteotomy. Bone healing index (BHI) was 39.8days/cm and was age dependent: <12 year olds = 37.5 days/cm; 12 years = 44.7 days/cm. Using the estimated consolidation time if treatment was solely by external fixator, calculated by tripling the time taken to reach target length after osteotomy, the BHI in this series would have been 52.9 days/cm (p < 0.001). Knee flexion recovery to > 90 degrees was noted at 153.5 days after plating. One greenstick fracture occurred 116 days after plate insertion, 1 tibial shaft fracture occurred 315 days post removal of plate - both following injury and were treated conservatively. Six episodes of sepsis, 5 superficial and 1 deep were treated with antibiotic suppression. The plates were removed from 28 tibiae, 437.4 days after insertion. Conclusions. Plating after lengthening not only reduces the fixator time but appears to achieve consolidation faster than if treatment was by external fixation alone. This facilitates early recovery of joint motion and limb function

Introduction: The addition of recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2 (rhBMP-2) showed significant reduction of secondary intervention, fracture healing time and infection rates compared with intramedullary nailing alone in open tibia fractures. However, the upfront price of approx. 3000 € is a barrier to its regular use. The goal of the study was to determine potential cost savings and cost-effectiveness of rhBMP-2 in grade III open tibia fractures from the perspective of the UK National Health Service (NHS) and the German Health Care System and to derive conclusions for other European health care systems. Materials and Methods: Clinical data from a previously published randomised controlled study with 450 patients (“BESTT study”) were used to generate total treatment costs for each patient for the control and the 1.5 mg/ml BMP-2 group based on the current German-DRG and the NHS for UK. The analysis was performed from a health care system and a societal perspective for a one year time horizon. Furthermore, assessment of the cost-effectiveness of BMP-2 was done by utility analysis. Results: The use of BMP-2 for grade III open tibia fractures is leading to cost savings of 3183 € per case and, therefore, to net savings for the German health care system. The main driver for cost savings is faster fracture healing with faster resumption of work and reduced expenses for sickness leave payments. For the UK rhBMP-2 is a cost-effective strategy with a cost-effectiveness ratio of approx. £11,000/QALY which is well below the standard £30,000 benchmark for the NHS. From a societal perspective, rhBMP-2 is a cost-saving treatment. Conclusions: BMP-2 leads to net savings in grade III open tibia fractures in Germany which can be expected for other European countries where sickness payments are provided by health care insurers. For countries like UK where sickness are provided by third parties BMP-2 is a cost-effective treatment strategy from a health care system perspective and a cost-saving treatment from a societal perspective

We report the operative technique and results of a new method of central grafting for persistent nonunion of the tibial shaft. The operation is performed through a lateral approach, anterior to the fibula. Fresh autogenous bone from the iliac crest is used to form a central bridge between the tibia and fibula above, below and at the level of the nonunion. In 48 tibiae, most with long-standing nonunion and some with infection or bone defects, sound healing was obtained in 45 after one operation. Only one failure needed amputation

Background. The modern modular implants allow surgeons to combine different combinations of components within the same brand of which some may have completely different design. During 1999–2012 the same cemented femur component was used together with a cemented stemmed tibia baseplate and also against a cemented pegged tibia baseplate. We decided to compare the revision rate of total knee arthroplasties (TKAs) using these two tibia baseplates. Methods. This is a register study. During 1999–2012, 32,429 cemented, CR TKA's of a specific brand were reported to the Swedish Knee Arthroplasty Register (SKAR). The part numbers for the femur, tibia and insert (in modular implants) were available in 99.2% of cases. The most common combination used the cemented CR femur against a cemented stemmed baseplate in 50.3% of cases while the same CR femur was used against a cemented pegged baseplate in 8.3% of cases, mainly at two hospitals. In order to make the material more comparable, only patients having osteoarthritis (OA) were included and only TKAs using two types of regular constraint inserts and in which the patella had been left un-resurfaced. Chi-Square test was used to investigate gender distribution in the groups and t-test for the mean age at surgery. Kaplan Meier analysis and the log-rank test were used to evaluate the risk of revision until the end of 2016. A p-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results. After exclusions, there were 15,287 knees with the stemmed and 2,479 with the pegged tibia baseplate. The mean follow-up time was 8.1 years (range 0–18). The proportion of women in the stemmed group was 59% and 60% in the pegged group (p=0.32) and the mean age at surgery for the groups was 69.9 years and 70.0 years, respectively (p=0.41). The cumulative revision rate (CRR) at 15 years for TKAs using the stemmed baseplate was 3.0% (95% CI: 2.6–3.5) as compared to 5.8% (95% CI: 4.0–8.3) for the pegged baseplate (p=0.003). When only revisions for loosening were considered, the CRR was respectively 0.6% (95% CI: 0.4–0. 9) and 3. 8% (95% CI: 2.3–6.3) (p<0.001). Conclusion. We found that TKAs using the pegged base plate had significantly higher risk for revision, both for all reasons as well as for only loosening. As the pegged baseplate surgeries were performed mostly at only two hospitals it is possible that local factors are to blame. However, considering that after stopping using the pegged baseplate, the two hospitals performed least as well as other hospitals using the same brand we think it is likely that the pegged plate has a higher risk of loosening and that our observation warrants that the performance of pegged plates is investigated in other registers

Aims. Our intention was to investigate if the highly porous biological fixation surfaces of a new 3D-printed total knee arthroplasty (TKA) achieved adequate fixation of the tibial and patellar components to the underlying bone. Patients and Methods. A total of 29 patients undergoing primary TKA consented to participate in this prospective cohort study. All patients received a highly porous tibial baseplate and metal-backed patella. Patient-reported outcomes measures were recorded and implant migration was assessed using radiostereometric analysis. Results. Patient function significantly improved by three months postoperatively (p < 0.001). Mean difference in maximum total point motion between 12 and 24 months was 0.021 mm (-0.265 to 0.572) for the tibial implant and 0.089 mm (-0.337 to 0.758) for the patellar implant. The rate of tibial and patellar migration was largest over the first six postoperative weeks, with no changes in mean tibia migration occurring after six months, and no changes in mean patellar migration occurring after six weeks. One patellar component showed a rapid rate of migration between 12 and 24 months. Conclusion. Biological fixation appears to occur reliably on the highly porous implant surface of the tibial baseplate and metal-backed patellar component. Rapid migration after 12 months was measured for one patellar component. Further investigation is required to assess the long-term stability of the 3D-printed components and to determine if the high-migrating components achieve fixation. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2019;101-B(7 Supple C):40–47

We proposed the substitute anteroposterior (sAP) line of the tibia for medial unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA), which connects the medial border of the patellar tendon at the articular surface level and the medial intercondylar tubercle of the tibia. However, it has not been shown that referencing this line improves the rotational alignment of the components. Therefore, in this study, we investigated whether the tibial component could be implanted perpendicular to the SEA by referencing the sAP line and whether referencing the sAP line could reduce the rotational mismatch between the femoral and the tibial components. Postoperative computed tomography datasets from 60 lower limbs in 57 Japanese patients with medial UKA were used. Among these, 30 knees were operated using the sAP line for AP reference and other 30 knees using the medial intercondylar ridge (MIR) line. First, the angle between the AP orientation of the tibial component and the surgical epicondylar axis (SEA) was measured. Then, the rotational mismatch angle between the components was measured. The tibial and femoral components placed referencing the sAP line were externally rotated 90.7°±3.2° and 91°±7.7° relative to the SEA, respectively, those referencing the MIR line were 94.9°±8.5° and 91.2°±7.7°, respectively. When referencing the sAP line, the orientation of the component was more perpendicular to the SEA (Student t-test, unpaired, P = .016) and rotational variability of the tibial component was significantly smaller (F test, P < 0 .0001). The rotational mismatch angle when referencing the sAP line and the MIR line was 0.3°±8.3°and −3.8°±6.7°, respectively. Referencing the sAP line significantly reduced the rotational mismatch between the components (Student t-test, unpaired, P = .045). Referencing the sAP line in the medial UKA may be useful to determine the AP orientation of the tibial component

Introduction and Objective. Management of gap non-union of the tibia, the major weight bearing bone of the leg remains controversial. The different internal fixation techniques are often weighed down by relatively high complication rates that include fractures which fail to heal (non-union). Minimally invasive techniques with ring fixators and bone transport (distraction osteogenesis) have come into picture as an alternative allowing alignment and stabilization, avoiding a graduated approach. This study was focused on fractures that result in a gap non-union of > 6 cm. Ilizarov technique was employed for management of such non-unions in this case series. The Ilizarov apparatus consists of rings, rods and kirschner wires that encloses the limb as a cylinder and uses kirschner wires to create tension allowing early weight bearing and stimulating bone growth. Ilizarov technique works on the principle of distraction osteogenesis, that is, pulling apart of bone to stimulate new bone growth. Usually, 4–5 rings are used in the setup depending on fracture site and pattern for stable fixation. In this study, we demonstrate effective bone transport and formation of gap non-union more than 6 cm in 10 patients using only 3 rings construct Ilizarov apparatus. Materials and Methods. This case study was conducted at Dr. D. Y. Patil Medical Hospital, Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. The study involved 10 patients with a non-union or gap > 6 cm after tibial fracture. 3 rings were used in the setup for the treatment of all the patients. Wires were passed percutaneously through the bone using a drill and the projecting ends of the wires were attached to the metal rings and tensioned to increase stability. The outcome of the study was measured using the Oxford Knee scoring system, Functional Mobility Scale, the American Foot and Ankle Score and Visual Analog Scale. Further, follow up of patients was done upto 2 years. Results. All the patients demonstrated good fixation as was assessed clinically and radiologically. 9 patients had a clinical score of > 65 which implied fair to excellent clinical rating. The patients showed good range of motion and were highly satisfied with the treatment as measured by different scoring parameters. Conclusions. In this case study, we demonstrate that the Ilizarov technique using 3 rings is equally effective in treating non-unions > 6 cm as when using 4–5 rings. Obtaining good clinical outcome and low complication rate in all 10 patients shows that this modified technique can be employed for patients with such difficulties in the future

Despite multiple published reviews, the optimum method of correction and stabilisation of Blount's disease remains controversial. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the clinical and radiological outcomes of acute correction of late-onset tibial vara by percutaneous proximal tibial osteotomy with circular external fixation using two simple rings. This technique was developed to minimise cost in a context of limited resources. This study was conducted between 2016 and 2020. We retrospectively reviewed the clinical notes and radiographs of 30 patients (32tibiae) who had correction of late-onset tibia by proximal tibial osteotomy and Ilizarov external fixator. All cases were followed up to 2 years. The mean proximal tibial angle was 65.7° (±7.8) preoperatively and 89.8° (±1.7) postoperatively. The mean mechanical axis deviation improved from 56.2 (±8.3) preoperatively to 2.8 (±1.6) mm postoperatively. The mean femoral-tibial shaft angle was changed from – 34.3° (±6.7) preoperatively to 5.7° (±2.8) after correction. Complications included overcorrection (9%) and pin tract infection (25%). At final follow up, all patients had full knee range of motion and normal function. All cases progressed to union and there were no cases of recurrence of deformity. This simple procedure provides secure fixation allowing early weight bearing and early return to function. It can be used in the context of health care systems with limited resources. It has a relatively low complication rate. Our results suggest that acute correction and simple circular frame fixation is an excellent treatment choice for cases of late-onset tibia vara, especially in severe deformities

INTRODUCTION. Clinical studies have shown that the knee tends to experience laterally higher AP motion (posterior directed) than medially (Asano at al., 2001; Dennis et al., 2005; Hill et al., 2000; Moro Oka et al., 2007). Traditional posterior stabilized (PS) total knee arthroplasty (TKA) designs allow deep flexion stability and femoral rollback once cam/spine engagement occurs, however mechanical stability provided by tibial bearing conformity during early to mid-flexion is highly variable. In this study a computer knee model is used to compare AP kinematics in PS TKA designs while evaluating multiple sagittal tibia bearing conformities. We hypothesized that highly conforming designs would be necessary to promote AP stability prior to cam/spine engagement. METHOD. A specimen specific computer model consisting of the femur, tibia and fibula, as well as the contribution of the ligaments and capsule was virtually implanted with TKA designs of the appropriate size at 5° tibia slope with the posterior cruciate ligament sacrificed. A single PS femoral component was evaluated with five PS tibia bearing designs with variable sagittal conformity ratios ranging from 1.05:1 to 2.2:1 (conformity ratio = tibia bearing sagittal radius / femur sagittal condylar radius). Designs were fully conforming frontally, with cam/spine engagement beyond 90° flexion. In all designs, lateral conformity ratios were increased relative to medial conformity ratios to facilitate lateral femoral rollback. Resultant AP kinematic predictions were obtained for femoral Low Points (LP) during 1) envelope of motion during internal external (IE) laxity evaluation and 2) knee bend functional activity. RESULTS. Designs with increased conformity resulted in improved AP stability in early to mid-flexion. In the envelope of laxity evaluations (Figure 1), the Medial LP laxity was similar for the 1.05:1 and 1.15:1 designs (approximately 2–3mm from extension to flexion), but then increased for the 1.35:1, 1.55:1, and 2.20:1 designs. Lateral LP laxity was more similar in all designs, however the designs with lower medial conformity ratio tended to have a greater Lateral LP laxity. During the Knee Bend activity (Figure 2), minimal (<1mm) Medial LP AP motion occurred from extension to cam/spine engagement in both the 1.05:1 and 1.15:1 designs, and greater AP motion occurred in the remaining designs. DISCUSSION. This study demonstrates that similar knee kinematics in PS TKA can be achieved over a small range of sagittal conformities, when designs approach 1:1 conformity. More conforming medial geometries can lead to greater lateral LP motion, suggesting greater medial conformity is necessary to replicate normal knee kinematics. Further work could evaluate impact of other factors such as tibia slope, further refinement in conformity, and additional specimen sizes. For any figures or tables, please contact authors directly (see Info & Metrics tab above).

Aims

Bone turnover markers (BTMs) follow distinct trends after fractures and limited evidence suggests differential levels in BTMs in patients with delayed healing. The effect of vitamin D, and other factors that influence BTMs and fracture healing, is important to elucidate the use of BTMs as surrogates of fracture healing. We sought to determine whether BTMs can be used as early markers of delayed fracture healing, and the effect of vitamin D on BTM response after fracture.

Evaluation of the surgical approach and treatment outcomes in patients with chronic osteomyelitis of the tibia classified as anatomic type 3 and 4, physiologic class B (Cierny-Mader). Analysis of surgical treatment of 68 patients (average age of 45.6 years) with chronic osteomyelitis of the tibia covered the period from June 1, 2013 till January 1, 2015. There were 49 males (72%). The first (I) group included 39 patients with type 3 chronic osteomyelitis of the tibia, the second (II) group – 29 patients with type 4 osteomyelitis. The follow-up was for 1–18 months. Duration of the surgery, intraoperative blood loss, causes of osteomyelitis and the frequency of infection recurrence were evaluated. In the group I, 33.3% of patients underwent debridement of the infected site and replacement of the bone defect with an antibiotic-laden cement spacer. In 28.2% of cases, a biodegradable antibiotic delivery system was used for the replacement. 23.1% of cases involved muscle flap coverage of the bone and tissue defect, while 15.4% – treatment with external fixation. In the group II, the proportion of cases treated with external fixation was 58.6%. It was higher than in group I (p<0.01). 27.6% of patients in this group had their defects replaced with an antibiotic-laden cement spacer, whereas 10.3% had muscle flap coverage. One patient had amputation of the tibia. Duration of the surgery and blood loss in group II was 2.4 and 1.7 times higher than in group I. The frequency of infection recurrence in both groups was comparable (about 13%). The average time of its manifestation was 20.8 days in group II and 41.6 days in group I. Infection recurrence after muscle flap coverage was not observed. S.aureus was the most common pathogen in both groups (50–60%). Microbial associations were isolated in 28.3 and 38% of cases in groups I and II, respectively. 33.3% of patients experienced infection caused by P.аeruginosa. Differences in the blood loss and duration of the surgery were due to the larger volume of the affected tissues in type 4 chronic osteomyelitis of the tibia. High frequency of infection recurrence was observed in patients with microbial associations and P.aeruginosa. The surgical treatment of choice for these patients might be muscle flap coverage. It is necessary to consider the type of a pathogen for systemic and local antimicrobial therapy

Aims

The aim of this study was to establish a reliable method for producing 3D reconstruction of sonographic callus.

Introduction. This is a report of the outcome of management of congenital pseudoarthrosis of the tibia (CPT) at skeletal maturity. Materials and Methods. Retrospective study. Inclusion criteria:. CPT Crawford IV. Skeletally maturity. Availability of radiographs and medical records. Outcome: union rate, healing time, residual deformities, ablation and refracture. Results. 23 patients who reached maturity were analysed. Time to union was 7.6 months. Union rate 70%. External fixation group: 7 patients, age 6.1 years, all united, 1 needed Bone graft. Average union time 8.2 months, no residual mal-alignment, no amputations, 2/7 needed corrective osteotomies and residual LLD in 2/7 < 1 cm. Numbers of surgery was 3. Vascularized fibular graft was done in 3 cases; all had failed previous attempts. Union time was 7 months. 2/3 united, 1 had amputation due to extensive disease. All patients had residual mal-alignment. Rodding group included 13 patients, age 3.2 years, union rate 61%, union time 8.3 months. Average LLD 1 cm with 1 patient LLD > 2 cm. Residual knee mal-alignment in 2/13, 4 had procurvatum and 55% of patients had ankle valgus. Fibula pseudoarthrosis. Refracture was reported in 53% of the rodding group. The causes of refracture were mal-alignment in 3, traumatic in 2 and idiopathic in 2. Total surgeries no 5. 2 patients had amputations after an unsuccessful 1. st. attempt. Our current trend of treatment was applied on 8 patients. They are not skeletally mature yet. the treatment combined excision of hamartoma, tibial rodding, wrapped periosteal graft with/out neutralization frame, and fibular fixation. Average age 3.8 years, union time was 10 months, Union rate 80%, no residual deformities. Conclusions. Our study shows the evolution of the treatment of CPT with increasing union rate, fewer residual deformities, and numbers of surgeries with more recent techniques

Purpose. To review the natural history of posteromedial bowing of the tibia and the outcome of limb reconstruction in this condition. Patients and Methods. 38 patients with posteromedial bowing of the tibia presenting between 2000–2016 were identified. Mean follow up from presentation was 78 months. Seventeen patients underwent lengthening and deformity correction surgery, whilst 3 further patients are awaiting lengthening and deformity correction procedures. Results. The greatest correction of deformity occurred in the first year of life, but after the age of 4 years, remodelling was limited. The absolute leg length discrepancy (LLD) increased throughout growth with a mean 14.3% discrepancy in tibial length. In the lengthening group, mean length gained per episode was 45mm (35–60). Mean duration in frame was 192 days, with a healing index of 42.4 days/cm. Significantly higher rates of recurrence in LLD were seen in those undergoing lengthening under the age of 10 years (p=0.046). Four contralateral epiphysiodeses were also performed. Conclusions. Posteromedial bowing of the tibia improves spontaneously during the first years of life, but in 20/38 (53%) patients, limb reconstruction was indicated for significant residual deformity and/or worsening length discrepancy. For larger discrepancies and persistent deformity, limb reconstruction with a hexapod external fixator is an effective technique and should be considered as part of the treatment options. Level of evidence. Level 4 (Case series)

Background. Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) overall is a very reliable, durable procedure. Biomechanical studies have suggested superior stress distribution in metal-backed tibial trays, however, these results have not been universally observed clinically. Currently, there is a paucity of information examining the survival and outcomes of all-polyethylene tibial components. Methods. We reviewed 31,939 patients undergoing a primary TKA over a 43-year period (1970–2013). There were 28,224 (88%) metal-backed and 3,715 (12%) all-polyethylene tibial components. The metal-backed and all-polyethylene groups had comparable demographics with respect to sex distribution (57% female for both) mean age (67 vs. 71 years), and mean BMI (31.6 vs. 31.1). Mean follow-up was 7 years (maximum 40 years). Results. The purpose of this investigation was to analyze the outcomes of all-polyethylene compared to metal-backed components in TKA and to determine (1) is there a difference in overall survival? All polyethylene tibial components had improved survivorship (P<0.0001) and metal-backed tibias were at increased risk of revision (HR 3.41, P<0.0001). (2) Does body mass index (BMI) or age have an effect on survival of all-polyethylene compared to metal-backed tibial components? All-polyethylene tibias had improved survival (P<0.01) in all ages groups except in patients 85 years or greater, where there was no difference (P=0.16). All-polyethylene tibial components had improved survival (P<0.005) for all BMI's except in the morbidly obese (BMI ≥40) where there was no difference (P=0.20). (3) Is there an increased risk of post-operative infection? Metal-backed tibial components were found to have an increased risk of infection (HR 1.60, P=0.003). (4) Is there a difference in the rate of reoperation and post-operative complications? Metal-backed tibial components were found to have an increased risk of reoperation (HR 1.84, P<0.0001). Conclusions. The use of all-polyethylene tibias should be considered for the majority of patients, regardless of age and BMI

Background. Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) overall is a very reliable, durable procedure. Biomechanical studies have suggested superior stress distribution in metal-backed tibial trays, however, these results have not been universally observed clinically. Currently, there is a paucity of information examining the survival and outcomes of all-polyethylene tibial components. Methods. We reviewed 31,939 patients undergoing a primary TKA over a 43-year period (1970–2013). There were 28,224 (88%) metal-backed and 3,715 (12%) all-polyethylene tibial components. The metal-backed and all-polyethylene groups had comparable demographics with respect to sex distribution (57% female for both), mean age (67 vs. 71 years), and mean BMI (31.6 vs. 31.1). Mean follow-up was 7 years (maximum 40 years). Results. The purpose of this investigation was to analyze the outcomes of all-polyethylene compared to metal-backed components in TKA and to determine: (1) is there a difference in overall survival? All-polyethylene tibial components had improved survivorship (P<0.0001) and metal-backed tibias were at increased risk of revision (HR 3.41, P<0.0001); (2) Does body mass index (BMI) or age have an effect on survival of all-polyethylene compared to metal-backed tibial components? All-polyethylene tibias had improved survival (P<0.01) in all age groups except in patients 85 years or greater, where there was no difference (P=0.16). All-polyethylene tibial components had improved survival (P<0.005) for all BMIs except in the morbidly obese (BMI ≥40) where there was no difference (P=0.20); (3) Is there an increased risk of post-operative infection? Metal-backed tibial components were found to have an increased risk of infection (HR 1.60, P=0.003); (4) Is there a difference in the rate of reoperation and post-operative complications? Metal-backed tibial components were found to have an increased risk of reoperation (HR 1.84, P<0.0001). Conclusions. The use of all-polyethylene tibias should be considered for the majority of patients, regardless of age and BMI

Aims. Following the introduction of national standards in 2009, most major paediatric trauma is now triaged to specialist units offering combined orthopaedic and plastic surgical expertise. We investigated the management of open tibia fractures at a paediatric trauma centre, primarily reporting the risk of infection and rate of union. Patients and Methods. A retrospective review was performed on 61 children who between 2007 and 2015 presented with an open tibia fracture. Their mean age was nine years (2 to 16) and the median follow-up was ten months (interquartile range 5 to 18). Management involved IV antibiotics, early debridement and combined treatment of the skeletal and soft-tissue injuries in line with standards proposed by the British Orthopaedic Association. Results. There were 36 diaphyseal fractures and 25 distal tibial fractures. Of the distal fractures, eight involved the physis. Motor vehicle collisions accounted for two thirds of the injuries and 38 patients (62%) arrived outside of normal working hours. The initial method of stabilisation comprised: casting in nine cases (15%); elastic nailing in 19 (31%); Kirschner (K)-wiring in 13 (21%); intramedullary nailing in one (2%); open reduction and plate fixation in four (7%); and external fixation in 15 (25%). Wound management comprised: primary wound closure in 24 (39%), delayed primary closure in 11 (18%), split skin graft (SSG) in eight (13%), local flap with SSG in 17 (28%) and a free flap in one. A total of 43 fractures (70%) were Gustilo-Anderson grade III. There were four superficial (6.6%) and three (4.9%) deep infections. Two deep infections occurred following open reduction and plate fixation and the third after K-wire fixation of a distal fracture. No patient who underwent primary wound closure developed an infection. All the fractures united, although nine patients required revision of a mono-lateral to circular frame for delayed union (two) or for altered alignment or length (seven). The mean time to union was two weeks longer in diaphyseal fractures than in distal fractures (13 weeks versus 10.8 weeks, p = 0.016). Children aged > 12 years had a significantly longer time to union than those aged < 12 years (16.3 weeks versus 11.4 weeks, p = 0.045). The length of stay in hospital for patients with a Gustilo-Anderson grade IIIB fracture was twice as long as for less severe injuries. . Conclusion. Fractures in children heal better than those in adults. Based on our experience of deep infection we discourage the use of internal fixation with a plate for open tibial fractures in children. We advocate aggressive initial wound debridement in theatre with early definitive combined orthopaedic and plastic surgery in order to obtain skeletal stabilisation and soft-tissue cover. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2017;99-B:544–53

Abstract. Objectives. This study aids the control of remodelling and strain response in bone; providing a quantified map of apparent modulus and strength in the proximal tibia in 3 anatomically relevant directions in terms of apparent density and factor groups. Methods. 7 fresh-frozen cadaveric specimens were quantified computed tomography (qCT) scanned, segmented and packed with 3 layers of 9mm side length cubic cores aligned to anatomical mechanical axes. Cores were removed with printed custom cutting and their densities found from qCT. Cores (n = 195) were quasi-statically compression tested. Modulus was estimated from a load cycle hysteresis loop, between 40% and 20% of yield stress. Sequential testing order in 3 orthogonal directions was randomised. Group differences were identified via an analysis of variance for the factors density, age, gender, testing order, subchondral depth, condyle and sub-meniscal location. Regression models were fit for significant factor sub-groups, predicting properties from density. Results. Axial modulus was 1.5 times greater than the two transverse directions (p<0.001), between which no difference was found. For all test directions, differences were quantified for density and modulus across all subchondral depths (p<0.001). 60% of transverse modulus variation was explained by density within subgroups for each subchondral depth. Medial axial modulus was 1.3 times greater than the lateral side (p = 0.011). Lateral axial modulus halved over a 25mm depth whilst remaining constant for the medial side. Density explained 75% of variation when grouped by subchondral depth and condyle. Yield strength was well predicted across all test directions, with density explaining 81% of axial strength variation and no differences over subchondral depth. Conclusions. The quantification of bone multiaxial modulus based on condyle and subchondral depth has been shown for the first time in a clinically viable protocol using conventional CT. Accounting for spatial variation improves upon literature property prediction models. Declaration of Interest. (b) declare that there is no conflict of interest that could be perceived as prejudicing the impartiality of the research reported:I declare that there is no conflict of interest that could be perceived as prejudicing the impartiality of the research project

Over the past fifteen years, the average length of stay for total hip (THA) and total knee arthroplasty (TKA) has gradually decreased from several days to overnight. The most logical and safest next step is outpatient arthroplasty. Through the era of so-called minimally invasive surgery, perhaps the most intriguing advancements are not related to the surgery itself, but instead the areas of rapid recovery techniques and peri-operative protocols. Rapid recovery techniques and peri-operative protocols have been refined to allow for same-day discharge with improved outcomes. In addition to Rapid Recovery techniques for the clinical care of the outpatient, one critical component to same-day total knee arthroplasty is the efficient performance and simplicity of the procedure itself. Simplified instrumentation and elimination of modularity can provide that efficiency and simplicity. All polyethylene tibial components have been mostly supplanted by modular metal-backed designs in recent years. However, mounting evidence suggests that survivorship of TKA with an all-poly tibia is superior to TKA with metal-backed, modular designs in all age groups except younger than 55, in which survival is equal to a modular design. Furthermore, this survival advantage was unaffected by obesity. Combining these excellent clinical results with the efficiency of a non-modular component can add to the efficiency and simplicity of the surgical technique. Therefore, in outpatient total knee arthroplasty, the all-poly tibia truly represents the less is more mentality

Total knee replacement (TKA) is one of the most successful procedures in orthopaedic surgery. Although originally limited to more elderly and less active individuals, the inclusion criteria for TKA have changed, with ever younger, more active and heavier patients receiving TKA. This broadening of indications coincided with the widespread adoption of modular cemented and cementless TKA systems in the 1980's, and soon thereafter wear debris related osteolysis and associated prosthetic loosening became major modes of failure for TKA implants of all designs. Initially, tibial components were cemented all polyethylene monoblock constructs. Subsequent long-term follow-up studies of some of these implant designs have demonstrated excellent durability in survivorship studies out to twenty years. While aseptic loosening of these all polyethylene tibial components was a leading cause of failure in these implants, major polyethylene wear-related osteolysis around well-fixed implants was rarely (if ever) observed. Cemented metal-backed nonmodular tibial components were first introduced to allow for improved tibial load distribution and protection of the underlying (often osteoporotic) bone. Eventually, modularity between the polyethylene tibial component and the metal-backed tray was introduced in the mid-80s mainly to facilitate screw fixation for cementless implants. These designs also provided intraoperative versatility by allowing interchange of various polyethylene thicknesses, and also aided the addition of stems and wedges. Modular vs. All Polyethylene Tibial Components in Primary TKA: Kremers et al. reviewed 10,601 adult (>18 years) patients with 14,524 condylar type primary TKA procedures performed at our institution between 1/1/1988 and 12/31/2005 and examined factors effecting outcome. The mean age was 68.7 years and 55% were female. Over an average 9 years follow-up, a total of 865 revisions, including 252 tibia revisions were performed, corresponding to overall survival of 89% (Confidence intervals (CI): 88%, 90%) at 15 years. In comparison to metal modular designs, risk of tibial revision was significantly lower with all polyethylene tibias (HR 0.3, 95% CI: 0.2, 0.5). With any revision as the endpoint, there were no significant differences across the 18 designs examined. Similarly, there were no significant differences across the 18 designs when we considered revisions for aseptic loosening, wear, osteolysis. Among patient characteristics, male gender, younger age, higher BMI were all significantly associated with higher risk of revisions (p<0.008). In a more recent review from our institution of over 11, 600 primary TKA procedures, Houdek et al. again showed that all polyethylene tibial components had superior survivorship vs. metal backed designs, with a lower risk of revision for loosening, osteolysis or component fracture. Furthermore, results for all polyethylene designs were better for all BMI subgroups except for those <25 BMI where there was no difference. All polyethylene results were also better for all age groups except for those under age <55 where there again was no difference. Finally, in a recently published meta-analysis of 28 articles containing data on 95,847 primary TKA procedures, all polyethylene tibial components were associated with a lower risk of revision and adverse outcomes. The available current data support the use of all polyethylene tibial designs in TKA in all patients regardless of age and BMI. In all patients, (not just older individuals) use of an all polyethylene tibial component is an attractive and more cost effective alternative, and is associated with the better survivorship and lower risk of revision than seen with modular metal backed tibial components

Flexible intramedullary nailing is gaining popularity as an effective method of treating long-bone fractures in children. We retrospectively reviewed the records and radiographs of 56 unstable fractures of the tibia in 54 children treated between March 1997 and May 2005. All were followed up for at least two months after the removal of the nails. Of the 56 tibial fractures, 13 were open. There were no nonunions. The mean time to clinical and radiological union was ten weeks. Complications included residual angulation of the tibia, leg-length discrepancy, deep infection and failures of fixation. All achieved an excellent functional outcome. We conclude that flexible intramedullary fixation is an easy and effective method of management of both open and closed unstable fractures of the tibia in children

Introduction. Uncemented highly porous titanium implants have been shown to promote osseointegration, and may result in a durable construct for total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Given the mixed results of uncemented TKA, it is important to evaluate the early stability for this product. The objective of the following study was to use radiostereometric analysis (RSA) to assess early fixation of a highly porous tibial baseplate and metal backed patella. Methods. Twenty-seven patients (mean age 64 years, 30% female) undergoing primary TKA consented to participate in this prospective cohort study. All patients received a highly porous tibial baseplate, a metal backed patella and tantalum RSA bone markers. Implant migration was assessed using model-based RSA at 1.5, 3, 6, 12 and 24 months post-operative. Patient reported outcome measures were captured using the same follow-up schedule, and compared to pre-operative measures. Results. There were no adverse events affecting implant fixation, and no revisions. Patient function significantly improved by 3 months post-operation (p < 0.001). The highest rate of tibia and patellar component migration occurred over the first six post-operative weeks, with minimal migration thereafter. Mean maximum total point motion (MTPM) at 24 months was 0.72 (SD 0.34) mm for the tibia, and 0.44 (SD 0.25) mm for the patella. Three tibia baseplates migrated more than 1 standard deviation greater than the mean at 24 months, and also had continuous migration (> 0.2mm of MTPM) in the second post-operative year. One patellar component showed a rapid rate of migration between 6 and 24 months, whereas all other patellar components appeared to stabilize. Conclusions. Osseointegration appears to occur on the highly porous implant surface of the tibia baseplate and metal backed patella, as evidenced by implant stability. Further follow-up is required to determine if clinical loosening will manifest in the continuously migrating implants

Aims. Type IIIB open tibial fractures are devastating high-energy injuries. At initial debridement, the surgeon will often be faced with large bone fragments with tenuous, if any, soft-tissue attachments. Conventionally these are discarded to avoid infection. We aimed to determine if orthoplastic reconstruction using mechanically relevant devitalized bone (ORDB) was associated with an increased infection rate in type IIIB open tibial shaft fractures. Patient and Methods. This was a consecutive cohort study of 113 patients, who had sustained type IIIB fractures of the tibia following blunt trauma, over a four-year period in a level 1 trauma centre. The median age was 44.3 years (interquartile range (IQR) 28.1 to 65.9) with a median follow-up of 1.7 years (IQR 1.2 to 2.1). There were 73 male patients and 40 female patients. The primary outcome measures were deep infection rate and number of operations. The secondary outcomes were nonunion and flap failure. Results. In all, 44 patients had ORDB as part of their reconstruction, with the remaining 69 not requiring it. Eight out of 113 patients (7.1%) developed a deep infection (ORDB 1/44, non-ORDB 7/69). The median number of operations was two. A total of 16/242 complication-related reoperations were undertaken (6.6%), with 2/16 (12.5%) occurring in the ORDB group. Conclusion. In the setting of an effective orthoplastic approach to type IIIB open diaphyseal tibial fractures, using mechanically relevant debrided devitalized bone fragments in the definitive reconstruction appears to be safe. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2019;101-B:1002–1008

In case when a cavity is detected in the place of a diagnosed osteomyelitis and when the location of the lesion is in the metaphyseal area, a revision can be done by an endoscopic method, using a standard arthroscopic device. This method was called as “medulloscopy”. In our paper we would like to introduce our first experiences with this method. We performed six surgeries of a chronic tibia osteomyelitis by an endoscopic method (medulloscopy) between January 2012 and December 2014. In four surgeries we treated a proximal metaphyseal tibia osteomyelitis and in two surgeries a distal tibial metaphysis. The group of patients consisted of one female and five male of an average age 50.8 years, with ages ranging between 36 and 82 years. Mean duration of local difficulties preoperatively caused by chronic osteomyelitis was 96 months (from 3 to 304 months). We followed the patients averaged 17.5 months (4–24 months). By April 2015 all six patients (100%) were without need of reoperation for relapse of chronic osteomyelitis. In our opinion the medulloscopy belongs to the spectrum of procedures for the revision of the long bones metaphyses, especially the tibia. The balance sheet for the use of this surgical method must be reasonable in relation to the type of surgery, the limits of arthroscopic instruments and experience of the surgeon. Acknowledgements. Internal grant of University Hospital Motol, Advanced Therapies, NO: 9777, TAČR, NO: TA04010879 and Internal grant of University Hospital Motol, NO: 6010

How do we treat severe knee OA with bowing deformity of tibia after malunion. Correction osteotomy with TKA was usually performed. However, there were risks of severe several complications. This is a case report of the patient received TKA didn't accept the risks of correction osteotomy. 74 year-old- lady consulted our clinic with chief complains of left knee pain and disability of walking. Her left knee pain began 20 years ago without any episodes. Her walking ability getting worse gradually in these 5 months. However, she have been received conservative treatment. She suffered left tibia fracture and received ORIF at age 21. Her course of after the surgery was not satisfied with infection. Finally her tibia achieved union. However, her tibia demonstrated bowing and shortening with varus deformity. Her knee joint also demonstrated varus deformity with ROM 95(ext. −20, flex. 115). There were pressure pain at the medial joint space, demonstrated varus-valgus instability. Roentgenograms showed severe OA with defect of medial tibial condyle (Fig.1) and malunion of the tibia with bowing deformity. Mechanical FTA angle was 151 degrees (Fig.2). Deformity angle of the malunion tibia was 25 degrees. Severe knee OA with tibia deformity was indication of TKA with correction tibial osteotomy. We proposed TKA with correction tibial osteotomy for her. We also explain risks and benefits of the surgery for her. She didn't want osteotomy for risks of infection and non-union, she decided that she receive only TKA. We planned TKA with tibial extension stem and fix with tilting position in the tibia shaft using bone cement. TKA was performed the same as planning (Fig.3). Her leg alignment corrected good position with ROM 125 (ext. 0, flex. 125) at follow-up. It was recommended that TKA for severe deformity without correction osteotomy is generally performed under 20 degrees of the correction angle. Our case was out of indication for this point of view. However, precise check of the pre-surgical roentgenograms could get solution of the difficult surgery. We are thinking of longevity of the implants because of unexpected stress, so we should need long follow–up of this case

Introduction and objectives. Intramedullary nailing is indicated to stabilization of tibia shaft fractures. Intramedullary nailing through an infra-patellar incision is commonly the technique of choice. While intramedullary nailing of simple diaphyseal fracture patterns is relatively easy, proximal tibia fractures, extremely comminuted/segmental tibia fractures, politrauma with multiple fractures in both extremities and reconstruction of bone loss segment with stiffness of the knee joint can be very challenging to treat. A novel technique for intramedullary tibia nailing through the patella-femoral joint is described. This technique allow extension tibia during intervention time and it supplies easier reduction of the pattern of fracture above. The purpose of our investigation was to evaluate the use of this new technique in described above pattern fracture and patient situation; because we have thought that new technique can perform better outcomes in this situations. Materials and Methods. An observational study of tibia fractures or bone defect was performed for consecutive patients who presented: proximal tibia fractures, extremely comminuted/segmental tibia fractures, politrauma with multiple fractures in both extremities and reconstruction of bone loss segment in the Trauma unit of our institution from September 2009 to August 2010. A total of 32 were included in our study, which performed surgery intervention with Trigen tibia nail (Smith & Nephew, Memphis) with suprapatelar device. Demographic data, mechanism of injury, fracture classification, ROM (2 and 6 weeks, and 3 months), consolidation rate, reduction fracture quality and knee pain at 3 months were recorded. Results. Male was the gender most frequent (64%), the average age was 39,5 years and the main mechanism of injury was motor vehicle injury (30,6%). There were 7 proximal fractures, 1 bifocal fracture, 6 politrauma and 2 reconstruction bone loss segment, the others were comminuted and segmental tibia fracture. In all the patients, the fracture was consolidated between 8 to 14 weeks with average of 10,6 weeks. The quality of reduction was correct in all patients in different axis. The average of ROM at 2 weeks was (−2°/95°) at 3 months was (−0,4°/133°). The knee pain (VAS) average was 0,6 only in 2 patients were (4). Poller screw was used in 7 patients. Conclusion. The suprapatelar nailing is optimal technique to resolve complex fracture of the tibia (proximal, segmental conminution, politrauma) that perform correct consolidation rate without misalignment in the patients. Concerns about knee pain (VAS) from the technique not appear in our data. Prospective and clinical trials are needed to validate this approach

Purpose. Degenerative osteoarthritis of the knee usually shows arthritic change in the medial tibiofemoral joint with severe varus deformity. In TKA, the medial release technique is often used for achieving mediolateral balancing, but there is some disagreement regarding the importance of pursuing the perfect rectangular gaps. Our hypothesis is that the minimal release especially in MCL is beneficial regarding on retaining the physiological medial stability and knee kinematics, which leads to improved functional outcome. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to examine the thickness of the tibia resection if the extent of the medial release is minimized to preserve the medial soft tissue in TKA. Patients and Methods. Thirty TKAs were performed for varus osteoarthritis by a single surgeon. In the TKA, femoral bone was prepared according to the measured resection technique, bilateral meniscus and anterior cruciate ligament were excised. After the osteophytes surrounding the femoral posterior condyle were removed, the knee with the femoral trial component was fully extended and the amount of the tibial bone cut was decided for the 10mm tibial insert by referring to the medial joint line of the femoral trial component. After the every bone preparation and placement of all the trial components, If flexion contracture due to the narrow extension gap was found, additional tibial bone cut or medial soft tissue release were performed. Results. MCL deep layer release was performed following the medial meniscus removal in all the TKAs, additional tibial bone cut was performed for three cases, but there was no additional medial soft tissue treatment in any TKAs. Final extension gap in the medial side was 21.2 mm, the average of the tibial insert thickness actually used was 10.6 mm, and the thickness of all the femoral implant at the distal part was 9 mm, therefore the residual medial extension gap in extension was averaged 1.8 ± 0.54 mm. On the other hand, the thickness of the tibial bone cut in the lateral side was various from 11 mm to 16 mm (average was 12.9 ± 1.13 mm). Discussion and Conclusions. All the TKAs in this study were performed to create the proper medial stability in extension without excessive medial release by cutting the adequately thck tibial bone, which lead to thicker tibia resection than the applied tibial insert in the lateral side. As lateral laxity is necessary for the medial pivot movement of the normal knee, slight lateral laxity can be accepted with TKA. The balance between lateral laxity and medial stability in both extension and flexion has not been well elucidated, further studies are necessary regarding on in vivo kinematic

Aims. This study describes the use of the Masquelet technique to treat segmental tibial bone loss in 12 patients. Patients and Methods. This retrospective case series reviewed 12 patients treated between 2010 and 2015 to determine their clinical outcome. Patients were mostly male with a mean age of 36 years (16 to 62). The outcomes recorded included union, infection and amputation. The mean follow-up was 675 days (403 to 952). . Results. The mean tibial defect measured 5.8 cm (2 to 15) in length. Of the 12 patients, 11 had an open fracture. Eight underwent fixation with an intramedullary nail, three with plates and one with a Taylor Spatial Frame. The mean interval between stages was 57 days (35 to 89). Bony union was achieved in only five patients. Five patients experienced infective complications during treatment, with two requiring amputation because of severe infection. Conclusion. The Masquelet technique was relatively ineffective in achieving union in this series, and was associated with a high rate of infection. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2017;99-B:680–5

Nonunion of the tibia associated with bone loss, previous infection, obliteration of the intramedullary canal or located in the distal metaphysis poses a challenge to the surgeon and significant morbidity to patients. We retrospectively reviewed the records of 24 patients who were treated by central bone grafting and compared them to those of 20 who were treated with a traditional posterolateral graft. Central bone grafting entails a lateral approach, anterior to the fibula and interosseous membrane which is used to create a central space filled with cancellous iliac crest autograft. Upon consolidation, a tibiofibular synostosis is formed that is strong enough for weight-bearing. This procedure has advantages over other methods of treatment for selected nonunions. Of the 24 patients with central bone grafting, 23 went on to radiographic and clinical union without further intervention. All healed within a mean of 20 weeks (10 to 48). No further bone grafts were required, and few complications were encountered. These results were comparable to those of the 20 patients who underwent posterolateral bone grafting who united at a mean of 31.3 weeks (16 to 60) but one of whom required below-knee amputation for intractable sepsis. Central bone grafting is a safe and effective treatment for difficult nonunions of the tibia

Aims

Open tibial fractures are limb-threatening injuries. While limb loss is rare in children, deep infection and nonunion rates of up to 15% and 8% are reported, respectively. We manage these injuries in a similar manner to those in adults, with a combined orthoplastic approach, often involving the use of vascularised free flaps. We report the orthopaedic and plastic surgical outcomes of a consecutive series of patients over a five-year period, which includes the largest cohort of free flaps for trauma in children to date.

Background: Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) overall is a very reliable, durable procedure. Biomechanical studies have suggested superior stress distribution in metal-backed tibial trays, however, these results have not been universally observed clinically. Currently there is a paucity of information examining the survival and outcomes of all-polyethylene tibial components. Methods: We reviewed 31,939 patients undergoing a primary TKA over a 43-year period (1970–2013). There were 28,224 (88%) metal-backed and 3,715 (12%) all-polyethylene tibial components. The metal-backed and all-polyethylene groups had comparable demographics with respect to sex distribution (57% female for both) mean age (67 vs. 71 years), and mean BMI (31.6 vs. 31.1). Mean follow-up was 7 years (maximum 40 years). Results: The purpose of this investigation was to analyze the outcomes of all-polyethylene compared to metal-backed components in TKA and to determine (1) is there a difference in overall survival? All-polyethylene tibial components had improved survivorship (P<0.0001) and metal-backed tibias were at increased risk of revision (HR 3.41, P<0.0001). (2) Does body mass index (BMI) or age have an effect on survival of all-polyethylene compared to metal-backed tibial components? All-polyethylene tibias had improved survival (P<0.01) in all ages groups except in patients 85 years or greater, where there was no difference (P=0.16). All-polyethylene tibial components had improved survival (P<0.005) for all BMI's except in the morbidly obese (BMI ≥40) where there was no difference (P=0.20). (3) Is there an increased risk of post-operative infection? Metal-backed tibial components were found to have an increased risk of infection (HR 1.60, P=0.003). (4) Is there a difference in the rate of reoperation and post-operative complications? Metal-backed tibial components were found to have an increased risk of reoperation (HR 1.84, P<0.0001). Conclusions: The use of all-polyethylene tibias should be considered for the majority of patients, regardless of age and BMI

A nine-year-old girl presented with a four-year history of progressive bowing of the left tibia. She had been seen in our clinic three and four years earlier, when no treatment was advised. She had been complaining of mild pain in the left leg for one month but was otherwise not very perturbed about her deformed leg. Examination showed bowing of the left tibia, no leg length discrepancy, no limp, and a normal left knee and ankle. Radiological examination showed features of osteo-fibrous dysplasia of the left tibia, with eccentric expansion of the cortex, intracortical osteolysis, marginal sclerosis encroaching on the medulla and diffuse lesional calcification. No other bones were involved. Because of the progressive bowing of the tibia and the mild pain, the recommended loose observation of the patient was abandoned. Daily treatment with 30 mg IVI pamidronate for three days resolved the pain. One month after the latest presentation the lesion was biopsied. Histological examination confirmed the diagnosis of osteofibrous dysplasia of the tibia. There was no evidence of adamantinoma. The literature on this rare bone lesion in childhood supports the use of open biopsy if the deformity becomes painful, the bowing is progressive and the patient presents after the age of nine years. Important differential diagnoses include fibrous dysplasia and adamantinoma

Objectives. Proximal tibial fracture is one of the most common postoperative complications of unilateral knee arthroplasty (UKA). The objective of the present study is to investigate the risk factors of these fractures, occurred after UKA in our facility. Method. We performed 314 UKAs between May 2006 and December 2013. All cases were done using Oxford UKA. Proximal tibial fractures were observed in 5 cases. 4 cases were female and 1 case was male, and the age at the operation ranged from 73 to 90. All cases were osteoarthritis. 4 cases were diagnosed as stress fracture with minimum displacement, and 1 case was fracture with displacement. We investigated the risk factors of the tibial fracture among those 5 cases. Low bone mineral density(BMD), the presence of medial tibial cortex pinhole, excessive vertical cut, and adjacence of keel and posterior tibia cortex were estimated as risk factors. Results. The loss in BMD was seen in all cases. Medial tibial cortex pinhole was recognized in 2 cases. Excessive vertical cut was recognized in 3 cases. Adjacence of keel and posterior tibia bone cortex was recognized in 3 cases, and the distance between keel and posterior tibia bone cortex was less than 3mm in all of these 3 cases. 4 cases those diagnosed as stress fractures, healed spontaneously with conservative treatment, but the case with displaced fragment needed ORIF. Discussion. Loss in BMD was seen in all cases as predicted, and this is one of the highest risk factors in UKA patient. Preoperative PTH use is recommended when low BMD was seen. Other risk factors are, medial tibial cortex pinhole, excessive vertical cut, and adjacence of keel and posterior tibial cortex. These risk factors are preventable if some cares are taken during the operation. Medial inclination of the tibial plateau should be checked preoperatively to avoid excessive vertical cut. If the distance between keel and posterior tibial cortex is less than 3mm at the preoperative planning, we should consider converting the implant. Furthermore, it is important to pay attention to intraoperative procedures. We should not use heavy hammer and avoid excessive varus force during cementing. For the prevention of tibial fractures after UKA, both strict preoperative planning and prevention of intraoperative errors are important

There is no question that excellent long-term results have been demonstrated with all-polyethylene tibial components. Moreover, improvements in polyethylene to increase wear resistance, maintain mechanical strength, and improve oxidative resistance lend even greater credence to the use of an all-polyethylene tibial component. There are several issues of concern. In revision knee replacement for reasons such as patellofemoral problems where the components are otherwise ideal, the arthrotomy performed during the revision usually creates a slight laxity requiring a thicker polyethylene or even a different tibial conformity. With an all-polyethylene tibia, this would require full component revision. It is also true that, even after careful trial reduction, the surgeon occasionally will find that the final construct is slightly lax requiring a thicker final insert. This again is difficult in the situation of all-polyethylene tibia. One of the advantages of an all-polyethylene tibia is to avoid back-side wear that posed a substantial problem in the past. Most component systems have successfully dealt with the problem of back-side wear making the advantage of a nonmodular all-polyethylene tibia moot. Finally, in a modular system, the surgeon has the advantage of cementing all components with the tibial trial and then having the ability to remove the trial component, clear the back of the knee and insert the final insert

Although proximal tibia vara is physiologically and pathologically observed, it is difficult to measure the varus angle accurately and reproducibly due to inaccuracy of the radiograph because of rotational and/or torsional deformities. Since tibial coronal alignment in TKA gives influence on implant longevity, intra- or extra-medurally cutting guide should be set carefully especially in cases with severe tibia vara. In this context, we measured the proximal tibial varus angle by introducing 3D-coordinate system. Materials & Methods. Three-dimensional models of 32 tibiae (23 females, 9 males, 71.2 ± 7.8 y/o) were reconstructed from CT data of the patients undergoing CT-based navigation assisted TKA. Clinically relevant mid-sagittal plane is defined by proximal tibial antero-posterior axis and an apex of the tibial plafond. After the cross-sectional contours of the tibial canal were extracted, least-square lines were fitted to define the proximal diaphyseal and the metaphyseal anatomical axis. The proximal tibia vara was firstly investigated in terms of distribution of proximal anatomical axis exits at the joint surface. TVA1 and TVA2 were defined to be a project angle on the coronal plane between the metaphyseal tibial anatomical axis and the proximal diaphyseal anatomical axis, and that between the metaphyseal tibial anatomical axis and the tibial functional axis, respectively. The correlations of each angle with age and femoro-tibial angle (FTA) were also examined. Results. The proximal anatomical axis exits distributed 4.3 ± 1.7 mm medially and 17.1 ± 3.4 mm anteriorly. TVA1 and TVA2 were 12.5 ± 4.5°(4.4?23.0°) and 11.8 ± 4.4° (4.4?22.0°), respectively. The correlations of FTA with TVA1 (r=0.374, p<0.05) and TVA2 (r=0.439, p<0.05) were statistically significant. Discussion. This is the first study that analyses tibia vara in the 3D-algorythm and that investigates its correlations with FTA. In the coronal plane, proximal tibia was actually varus, and TVA varied substantially among patients and correlated with FTA. These data implicated that TVA was involved in the pathophysiology of osteoarthritic deformities, directly or indirectly. Also tibia vara should be considered while placing the instrument to cut proximal tibia to obtain optimal setting of the implant in TKA

Introduction. Various implant designs and bearing surfaces are used in TKR. The use of All Poly Tibia and poly moulded on Tibial metal base plate has been in practice since long. Recently due to the reports on wear and osteolysis in modular articulations, these components have generated significant interest. Aim. To report early medium term results in elderly (>70 years) patients. Method. Study of 130 cases done between 2005–2009. All cases were performed by the author. Inclusion Criteria:. Patients with physiological age > 70 years. Patients with low functional demand. Good bone quality. Exclusion Criteria: Inflammatory arthropathy. Osteoporosis and poor bone quality. High functional demand. All Poly Tibial component/ Moulded Metal back Tibia implantations were performed. A PS design was used in all cases fixed with CMW 1 gentamicin cement. Results. 12 cases were lost to follow up. 11 patients deceased due to medical conditions. This left us with 107 cases at the time of the last follow up. Mean age at index surgery was 72.5 years.(70–91 years). Preop KSS average was 42 (25–62). Post operative at the latest Follow up was 89 (68–97). Of 107 cases there were 4 revisions - two for deep sepsis and two for periprosthetic fractures. There were no revisions for aseptic loosening or osteolysis. All 103 cases are performing well functionally and clinically. 19 cases have a nonprogressive radiolucent line beneath the Tibial component. Discussion. Use of Monobloc Tibia is somewhat controversial. The first Total condylar Knee was an all poly design in early 70s. 1. The monobloc tibia eliminates backside wear. The overall thickness of polyethylene in this implant is 2 to 4mm thicker in allpoly tibia design. The metal base plate with compression moulded polyethylene dissipates stresses evenly in osteopaenic bones. The polywear and osteolysis are two most important factors for aseptic loosening. If Symptomatic, loosening warrants a revision surgery. Metal back fixed bearing implant has a disadvantage that it wears from both the surfaces. The highly polished trays are supposed to reduce the wear but it is too early for a statistically significant conclusion. Functionally low demand patients have lesser stresses as compared to their counterparts. The surgical technique for insertion of these implants is slightly demanding as compared to modular implants. The combination of perfect alignment and soft tissue balance creates an environment for a successful TKR. The choice of Monobloc Tibial component for functionally low demand age group patients reduce the chances of premature wear and osteolysis. In elderly patients the implant should outlive the patient. Here it is observed that at early medium term (5 to 9 yr.s) aseptic loosening and subsequent revision chances are low. The Monobloc Tibial component is cheaper as compared to its metal back counterpart. Conclusion. An excellent clinical result in our hands for this group of patients supports the continued use of this implant strongly

Aim. Infected segmental defects are one of the most feared complications of open tibial fractures. This may be due to prolonged treatment time, permanent functional deficits and high reinfection and non-union rates. Distraction osteogenesis techniques such as Ilizarov acute shortening with bifocal relengthening (ASR) and bone transport (BT) are effective surgical treatment options in the tibia. The aim of this study was to compare ASL with bone transport in a consecutive series of complex tibial infected non-unions and osteomyelitis, for the reconstruction of segmental defects created at surgical resection of the infection. Method. In this single centre series, all patients with a segmental defect (>2cm) of the tibia after excision of infected non-union or osteomyelitis were eligible for inclusion. Based on clinical features, bone reconstruction was achieved with either ASR or BT using an Ilizarov fixator. We recorded the external fixation time (months), the external fixation index (EFI), comorbidities, Cierny-Mader or Weber-Cech classification, follow-up duration, time to union, number of operations and complications. Results. Overall, 43 patients with an infected tibial segmental defect were included. An ASR was performed in 19 patients with a median age of 40 years (range: 19 – 66 years). In this group, the median bone defect size was three cm (range: 2 – 5 cm); and the median frame time eight months (range: 5 – 16 months). BT was performed in 24 patients with a median age of 44 years (range: 21 – 70 years). The median bone defect size was six cm (range: 3 – 10 cm), and the median frame time ten months (range: 7 – 17 months). The EFI in the ASR group and the BT group measured 2.2 months/cm (range: 1.3 – 5.4 months/cm) and 1.9 months/cm (range: 0.8 – 2.8 months/cm), respectively. The comparison between the EFI of the ASL group and the BT group showed no statistically significant difference (p=0.147). Five patients of the ASR group (7 surgeries) and 19 patients of the BT group (23 surgeries) needed further unplanned surgery (p=0.001). Docking site surgery was significantly more frequent in BT; 66.7%, versus ASL; 5.3% (p=0.0001). Conclusion. Acute shortening/relengthening and bone transport are both safe and effective distraction osteogenesis techniques for the treatment of infected tibial non-unions. They share similar frame times per centimetre of defect. However, ASR demonstrated a statistically significant lower rate of unplanned surgeries

Aim. To evaluate the results and complications of bone transport in the treatment of massive tibial bone defects, using the Ilizarov method. Methods. 15 patients underwent bone transport using the Ilizarov technique to treat massive tibial bone defects. The average age of the patients was 8.7 years (3–24 years) and the mean bone defect was 10.8 cms. Following a latent period of 1 week, distraction of the transport doughnut was commenced at 1mm/24 hours in 4 quarterly turns. A docking procedure was performed in 7 cases which involved freshening of the bone ends and autogenous bone grafting from the iliac crest. Following docking the fixator was removed once the regenerate had consolidated. Results. The fixators were removed after a mean 12.3 months (range 8–21 months). 1 patient required adjustment of the frame under anaesthetic due to translation of the docking doughnut and poor alignment. All patients had at least one superficial pin site infection successfully treated with oral antibiotics. Deep infection at the docking site was seen in 1 patient needing debridement and split skin grafting. There were no neuro-vascular complications. 1 patient had a recurvatum deformity at the regenerate due to early frame removal. There were no early fractures. Re-fracture of the docking site occurred in one patient, 17 months after the removal of the original frame. This needed open reduction and internal fixation. Non union at the docking site was seen in 3 patients, needing open reduction, internal fixation with bone grafting (1 case) and excision of non-union and compression with a further frame (2 cases). Conclusion. Massive bone transport in the tibia is an orthopaedic challenge. This paper highlights the complications of this procedure. It confirms the viability of this method but emphasises careful counselling of both the patient and parents prior to the commencement of such difficult treatment

Although osteoporosis reduces overall bone mass causing bone fragility, our recent studies have shown that bone tissue composition is altered at the microscopic level, which is undetectable by conventional diagnostic techniques (DEXA) but may contribute to bone fracture. However, the time sequence of changes in bone microarchitecture, mechanical environment and mineral distribution are not yet fully understood. This study quantified the longitudinal effects of estrogen deficiency on the trabecular microarchitecture and mineral distribution in the tibia of Female Wistar rats (6 months) that underwent ovariectomy (OVX, n=10) or sham surgery (SHAM, n=10). Weekly micro-CT scans of the proximal tibia were conducted at 15µm resolution for the first month of estrogen deficiency. Morphometric analysis was conducted to characterise the trabecular bone microarchitecture. The bone mineral composition was characterised with analysis of bone mineral density distributions (BMDD). There was significantly reduced trabecular bone volume fraction at 2 weeks in OVX rats compared to controls (p<0.01). There was no difference in mineral distribution between the OVX and control animals. This study provides the first evidence in uncovering the temporal nature of changes in bone microarchitecture and mineral distribution, showing that structure changes before composition. In-vivo µCT analysis for later time points (week 8, 14 and 34) is ongoing to comprehensively examine these longitudinal compositional changes. Moreover, we are conducting ex-vivo mechanical analysis (nanoindentation), and together these will uncover the time-sequence and respective contribution of changes in bone mass and composition to the integrity of the bone tissue at these stages of estrogen deficiency

Introduction: Congenital pseudoarthrosis is one of the greatest challenges of pediatric orthopedic practice. Treatment measures and literature addressing this condition are numerous reflecting the difficulty in management. The aim of successful treatment is to achieve length, union and normal axis of the involved leg. A method of treatment is described whereby the affected tibia is united and lengthened. Material and methods: Ten patients between six and thirty years of age were treated. All patients suffered from Boyd 1 or 2 Psuedoarthrosis of the Tibia. All patients had had previous surgery (three to thirteen operations) and three to ten centimeter of shortening. All patients were treated by lengthening of the tibia and open debridement and compression of the pseudoarthrosis till union using Ilizarov techniques. Results: All patients had eventual successful outcome. Eight patients achieved union length and normalization of the tibial axis with the first operation and two patients had recurrence of the pseudoarthrosis and had re-operation with success. Conclusion: Successful surgical treatment of pseudoarthrosis of the tibia is possible. To achieve this success a number of basic principles need to be followed. These principles are:. Correction of the axis of the limb. Debridement of the pseudoarthrosis and opening of the intra medullary canal with insertion of one of the ends of the tibia into the other. Lengthening of the tibia with proximal osteotomy and concurrent compression of the fracture site. Absolute correction of the tibial axis. This treatment regime has shown success in the failed management of the pseudoarthrosis and if these principles are adhered to this regime will have success in the management of this pathology and prevent re-operation

Two big problems exist with the all polyethylene cemented tibial component; the polyethylene and the cement. The polyethylene is too weak and flexible to bear high tibial load, so it deforms and loosens. The interface stresses are too high when two flexible structures are poorly bonded and heavily loaded. Modularity between the polyethylene tibial component and the metal-backed tray was introduced in the mid-80's for versatility and to facilitate screw fixation for cementless implants. These designs allow exchange of various polyethylene thicknesses, and aids the addition of stems and wedges. Other advantages include the reduction of inventory, and the potential for isolated tibial polyethylene exchanges as a simpler revision procedure. Several studies have documented the high failure rate of isolated polyethylene exchange procedures, because technical problems related to the original components are left uncorrected. However, revision for wear is the simplest revision ever!. Since the late 1980's the phenomena of polyethylene wear and osteolysis have been observed much more frequently when compared with earlier eras. The reasons for this increased prevalence of synovitis, progressive osteolysis, and severe polyethylene wear remain unclear. There is some association with the widespread use of both cementless and cemented modular tibial designs. Improved polyethylene attachment is the answer even if a screw, a wire, or a pin is needed. Do not abandon the modular tibia

Osteoarthritic (OA) changes to the bone morphology of the proximal tibia may exhibit load transfer patterns during total knee arthroplasty not predicted in models based on normal tibias. Prior work highlighted increased bone density in transverse sections of OA knees in the proximal-most 10mm tibial cancellous bone. Little is known about coronal plane differences, which could help inform load transfer from the tibial plateau to the tibial metaphysis. Therefore, we compared the cancellous bone density in OA and cadaveric (non-OA) subjects along a common coronal plane. This study included nine OA patients (five women, average age 59.1 ± 9.4 years) and 18 cadaver subjects (four women, average age 39.5 ± 14.4 years). Patients (eight with medial OA and one with lateral OA) received pre-operative CT scans as standard-of-care for a unicompartmental knee replacement. Cadavers were scanned at our institution and had no history of OA which was confirmed by gross inspection during dissection. 3D reconstructions of each proximal tibia were made and an ellipse was drawn on the medial and lateral plateau using a previously published method. A coronal section (Figure 1) to standardize the cohort was created using the medial ellipse center, lateral ellipse center, and the tibial shaft center 71.5mm from the tibial spine. On this section, profile lines were drawn from the medial and lateral ellipse centers, with data collected from the first subchondral bone pixel to a length of 20mm. The Hounsfield Units (HU) along each profile line was recorded for each tibia; a representative graphical distribution is shown in Figure 2. The Area Under the Curve (AUC) was calculated for the medial and lateral sides, which loosely described the stiffness profile through the region of interest. To determine differences between the medial and lateral subchondral bone density, the ratio AUC[medial] / AUC[lateral] was compared between the OA and cadaver cohorts using a two-sample t-test. Data from the sole lateral OA patient was mirror-imaged to be included in the OA cohort. The majority of the OA patients appeared to have higher subchondral bone density on the affected side. Figure 3 compares the medial and laterals sides of each group using the AUC ratio method described above. For the cadaver group the AUC was 1.2 +/− 0.22, with a median of 1.1 [0.9 1.6], smaller than the mean AUC for the OA group, which was 1.4 +/− 0.39, with a median of 1.6 [0.93 2.1]. The p-value was 0.06. The increased density observed in OA patients is consistent with asymmetric loading towards the affected plateau, resulting in localized remodeling of cancellous bone from the epiphysis to metaphysis. From the coronal plane, bone was often observed in OA patients bridging the medial plateau to the metaphyseal cortex. Although the cadaver subjects were normal from history and gross inspection, some subjects exhibited early bone density changes consistent with OA. Future work looks to review more OA scans, extend the work to the distal femur, and convert the HU values to bone elastic moduli for use in finite element modelling

The use of recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2 (rhBMP-2) for the treatment of congenital pseudarthrosis of the tibia has been investigated in only one previous study, with promising results. The aim of this study was to determine whether rhBMP-2 might improve the outcome of this disorder. We reviewed the medical records of five patients with a mean age of 7.4 years (2.3 to 21) with congenital pseudarthrosis of the tibia who had been treated with rhBMP-2 and intramedullary rodding. Ilizarov external fixation was also used in four of these patients. Radiological union of the pseudarthrosis was evident in all of them at a mean of 3.5 months (3.2 to 4) post-operatively. The Ilizarov device was removed after a mean of 4.2 months (3.0 to 5.3). These results indicate that treatment of congenital pseudarthrosis of the tibia using rhBMP-2 in combination with intramedullary stabilisation and Ilizarov external fixation may improve the initial rate of union and reduce the time to union. Further studies with more patients and longer follow-up are necessary to determine whether this surgial procedure may significantly enhance the outcome of congenital pseudarthrosis of the tibia, considering the refracture rate (two of five patients) in this small case series

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy of intramedullary nailing for the treatment of the fractures of the proximal quarter of the tibia with special respect on the reduction accuracy. Patients: This is a retrospective study which was conducted in our institution between October 2004 and March 2007. 30 extrarticular proximal tibia fractures were treated with intramedullary nailing. The mean age of the patients was 27 years (19 to 47). Seven fractures (23%) were open – Gustillo grade I-, twelve fractures (12%) had segmental comminution and six (6%) were bifocal fractures. Static intramedullary nailing was chosen in all cases. Distal dynamization was performed routinely in all fractures at an average of 7 weeks (6 to 12 weeks) after the primary operation. Union of the fracture and the accuracy of the reduction were assessed clinically and radiologically. Results: The average follow up was 16 months (9 to 22). All fractures united without additional procedures. Acceptable alignment was obtained in 28 of 30 fractures (93%). Postoperative angulation was satisfactory (average frontal and sagittal plane deformity of less than 2 degrees) in 26 fractures (87%). Two patients had frontal plane deformities (one 4° varus and one valgus 7°) and two patients had a saaggital plane deformities (7° procuvartum). No significant complication was recorded. Conclusions: The proximity of the upper tibia fracture to the knee makes the treatment of these fractures more challenging. Closed intramedullary nailing combined with special reduction technique is a safe and effective method of managing of the proximal tibia fractures

Morbid obesity and its association with obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome have been increasingly recognised in children. Orthopaedic surgeons are often the primary medical contact for older children with tibia vara, which has long been associated with obesity, but are unfamiliar with the evaluation and treatment of sleep apnoea in children. We reviewed all children with tibia vara treated surgically at one of our institutions over a period of five years. Thirty-seven patients were identified; 18 were nine years of age or older and 13 of these (72%) had morbid obesity and a history of snoring. Eleven children were diagnosed as having sleep apnoea on polysomnography. The incidence of this syndrome in the 18 children aged nine years or older with tibia vara, was 61%. All these patients required pre-operative non-invasive positive-pressure ventilation; tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy were necessary in five (45%). No peri-operative complications related to the airway occurred. There is a high incidence of sleep apnoea in morbidly obese patients with tibia vara. These patients should be screened for snoring and, if present, should be further evaluated for sleep apnoea before corrective surgery is undertaken

Objectives. Little biomechanical information is available about kinematically aligned (KA) total knee arthroplasty (TKA). The purpose of this study was to simulate the kinematics and kinetics after KA TKA and mechanically aligned (MA) TKA with four different limb alignments. Materials and Methods. Bone models were constructed from one volunteer (normal) and three patients with three different knee deformities (slight, moderate and severe varus). A dynamic musculoskeletal modelling system was used to analyse the kinematics and the tibiofemoral contact force. The contact stress on the tibial insert, and the stress to the resection surface and medial tibial cortex were examined by using finite element analysis. Results. In all bone models, posterior translation on the lateral side and external rotation in the KA TKA models were greater than in the MA TKA models. The tibiofemoral force at the medial side was increased in the moderate and severe varus models with KA TKA. In the severe varus model with KA TKA, the contact stress on the tibial insert and the stress to the resection surface and to the medial tibial cortex were increased by 41.5%, 32.2% and 53.7%, respectively, compared with MA TKA, and the bone strain at the medial side was highest among all models. Conclusion. Near normal kinematics was observed in KA TKA. However, KA TKA increased the contact force, stress and bone strain at the medial side for moderate and severe varus knee models. The application of KA TKA for severe varus knees may be inadequate. Cite this article: S. Nakamura, Y. Tian, Y. Tanaka, S. Kuriyama, H. Ito, M. Furu, S. Matsuda. The effects of kinematically aligned total knee arthroplasty on stress at the medial tibia: A case study for varus knee. Bone Joint Res 2017;6:43–51. DOI: 10.1302/2046-3758.61.BJR-2016-0090.R1

Introduction. Total Knee Replacement (TKR) is a highly effective treatment providing pain relief and improved function to patients experiencing advanced stage osteoarthritis. Tray fit or bone coverage is a critical design feature for both cemented and cementless designs affecting stability, load transfer and potential for infection. Many authors have attempted to characterise the relationship between the profile of the proximal tibia and gender and ethnicity. 1–3. As a consequence, a number of manufacturers have commercialised devices designed for specific gender and racial demographics. This study was initiated to compare the effect of the fixed minimum tibial resection depth prescribed by existing surgical instruments with that of a proportionate resection based on the size of the tibia. Method. A dataset consisting of 30 donor scans from a US cadaver tissue bank (ScienceCare, Memphis, US) was used for this study. The dataset consisted of 12 male and 18 female specimens. Due to the limited view of the diaphysis for most scans, the natural slope of the lateral compartment was used as a guide for orienting the resection. All scans were resected with a 3° posterior slope. For the first part of this study, an equal mediolateral (ML) resection of 9.5 mm, reflecting the minimum resection for the Unity TKR tibia (Corin, UK), was performed on all specimens (Figure 1). Following this, two proportionate resection depths (13.5 mm and 6.7 mm) were calculated based on the ML relationship between the smallest and largest available Unity components (59.5 mm: 84.5 mm). Two further resection depths (11.3 mm and 8.0 mm) were calculated based on a mid size (71.0 mm). Three resection depths (8.0 mm, 9.5 mm & 11.3 mm) were applied to four medium sized specimens. In addition to this two larger specimens were resected at 9.5 mm and 13.5 mm and two smaller specimens at 6.7 mm and 9.5 mm. A grid was applied to all cut surfaces and oriented using the posterior axis. The cut surface was divided based on lines drawn at 10%, 25%, 50%, 75% and 90% of the overall ML dimension and 10%, 25%, 50%, 75% and 90% of the overall anteroposterior (AP) dimension. Measurements were taken from the medial side and recorded from the points at which lines intersected the external profile of the cut tibia (Figure 2). Results. Results were presented as percentages relative to the AP and ML enabling the generation of 2D curve plots of the proposed profile (Figure 3). Discussion. Results from the fixed resection (9.5 mm) data depicted a good trend (R. 2. = 0.71–0.72) for the progression of the anterior profile as the tibia size increases. Similarly as the resection depth increased the same trend was observed. A weaker trend of R. 2. = 0.5 was also evident for the posterior profile. This methodology was applied to the development of the Unity tibia size range to optimise bone coverage and strain distribution

Introduction. Precise implant matching with a resected bony surface is a crucial issue to ensure a successful total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Extremely undersized or oversized components should be avoided. Therefore, we should measure the exact anthropometric data of the resected bony surface preoperatively or intraoperatively. The purpose of this study was to intraoperatively analyze the exact anthropometric proximal tibial data of Japanese patients undergoing TKA and correlate these measurements to the dimensions of current prosthetic systems. Patients and Methods. Three hundred and seventy-three knees in 299 Japanese patients were included in this study. There were 246 women and 53 men with a mean age of 74 (range: 63–85) years. All TKAs were performed by 3 senior surgeons (TS, AK, and NM). The bone cut in the proximal tibia was made perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the tibia in the frontal plane. Intraoperative measurements of the proximal tibial cut surface were taken after proximal tibial preparation. Akagi's line (center of the posterior cruciate ligament tibial insertion to the medial border of the patellar tendon attachment) was adopted as the anteroposterior axis line of the proximal tibia. A mediolateral (ML) line was drawn perpendicular to Akagi's line. Then, anteroposterior (AP), lateral anteroposterior (lAP), and medial anteroposterior (mAP) lines were drawn as shown in Figure 1. Results. There was a significant positive correlation between lAP and ML dimensions. Although there also was a significant positive correlation between lAP and mAP dimensions, individual knees presented much scatter (Figure 2). The lAP dimension was smaller than the mAP dimension in all knees by a mean of 4.5 ± 1.9 mm. The proximal tibia exhibited asymmetry between the lateral and medial plateaus. The recent data of 177 knees indicated that Akagi's line was located 1.0 ± 1.2 mm medial to the AP line. A comparison of the morphologic data and the dimensions of the implants, one of which was a symmetric tibial component (NexGen: Zimmer, Warsaw, Indiana), and the other asymmetric (Genesis II: Smith & Nephew, Memphis, Tennessee), indicated that an asymmetric tibial component could be beneficial in maximizing the coverage of the tibial plateau. However, the size variation of the asymmetric tibial component was poor and the lAP and mAP dimensions showed much scatter; thus, we should measure the proximal tibia and choose the proper tibial component during surgery. Conclusions. This study provides important reference data that may be useful for designing proper tibial components for Japanese patients

The aim of this study was to assess the incidence of fibula non-union in patients undergoing distraction osteogenesis, and the incidence of symptoms following this. A consecutive series of 58 patients undergoing distraction osteogenesis at a tertiary centre under a single surgeon were included. Data was collected prospectively. Plain radiographs were reviewed retrospectively by a blinded reviewer. Union was defined as the presence of bridging callous on two views. There were 58 distraction procedures performed. The mean age was 37.2 years (range 16.0 to 80.6). There were 36 males and 22 females. The mean follow-up was 23.4 months (4–70 months). 9 (15.5%) went onto non-union at frame removal. 3 (33.3%) of the 9 fibulas that did not unite developed symptoms. 2 (66.7%) of these required surgery in the form of fibula plating. Both of these patient's symptoms resolved following surgery. 3 (33.3%) of the 9 non-united fibulas also had tibial non-union compared to 1 of the 49 where the fibula united. There was no association between location of fibula osteotomy and development of non-union. 35 fibula osteotomies were performed in the third quarter. Of the fibulas that united, the mean fibula lengthening was 9.25 mm (range 1.2–27.8 mm). In the fibulas that went onto non-union the mean lengthening was 23.66 mm (range 5.1–51.5 mm) (P = 0.004). 54 (93.1%) of the tibias united following osteotomy and distraction, whilst 4 (6.9%) went onto non-union requiring operative treatment. Of the 4 tibias that did not unite, 3 (75%) also had fibula non-union (P = 0.01). Fibula non-union is a relatively common complication following osteotomy in distraction osteogenesis. The length of fibula distraction and tibia non-union are significant risk factors for the development of a fibula non-union. We recommend surgical intervention for those patients who have symptomatic fibula non-unions

Background: Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) overall is a very reliable, durable procedure. Biomechanical studies have suggested superior stress distribution in metal-backed tibial trays, however, these results have not been universally observed clinically. Currently, there is a paucity of information examining the survival and outcomes of all-polyethylene tibial components. Methods: We reviewed 31,939 patients undergoing a primary TKA over a 43-year period (1970–2013). There were 28,224 (88%) metal-backed and 3,715 (12%) all-polyethylene tibial components. The metal-backed and all-polyethylene groups had comparable demographics with respect to sex distribution (57% female for both) mean age (67 vs. 71 years), and mean BMI (31.6 vs. 31.1). Mean follow-up was 7 years (maximum 40 years). Results: The purpose of this investigation was to analyze the outcomes of all-polyethylene compared to metal backed components in TKA and to determine (1) is there a difference in overall survival? All-polyethylene tibial components had improved survivorship (P<0.0001) and metal backed tibias were at increased risk of revision (HR 3.41, P<0.0001). (2) Does body mass index (BMI) or age have an affect on survival of all-polyethylene compared to metal-backed tibial components? All-polyethylene tibias had improved survival (P<0.01) in all ages groups except in patients 85 years or greater, where there was no difference (P=0.16). All-polyethylene tibial components had improved survival (P<0.005) for all BMI's except in the morbidly obese (BMI ≥40) where there was no difference (P=0.20). (3) Is there an increased risk of post-operative infection? Metal-backed tibial components were found to have an increased risk of infection (HR 1.60, P=0.003). (4) Is there a difference in the rate of reoperation and post-operative complications? Metal-backed tibial components were found to have an increased risk of reoperation (HR 1.84, P<0.0001). Conclusions: The use of all-polyethylene tibias should be considered for the majority of patients, regardless of age and BMI

Purpose of the Study. A cooled, side cutting burr designed for use in adult foot surgery has been used as a primary bone cutting device in children to facilitate a truly percutaneous method of performing osteotomies. Stabilisation of the femur was using a percutaneous locked nail and for the tibia percutaneous K-wires. The author describes the advantages and disadvantages of this method with results from the first cohort of patients treated. Method. Patients under going osteotomy of the femur, tibia and fibula using a 2 mm × 20 mm side cutting burr were followed prospectively and assessed for scar size, bone healing time and complications. Results. Thirty six osteotomies were performed in the femur and tibia in 25 patients. A fibula osteotomy was always performed with a tibial osteotomy. Scar size for the femoral osteotomy was <15 mm and for the nail insertion <25 mm. For the tibia & fibula the scar size was <10 mm. Healing time was by 6 weeks in the tibia and in the femur was within 16 weeks in non-lengthening cases in all but 1 case of non-union (associated with Vitamin D insufficiency). Three burr bits broke during the learning curve including 2 in tibial osteotomies and 1 in the femur. Cortical thickness and slow burr speeds were associated with burr breakage. All wounds healed without infection. The optimum speed for the burr at 50 Nm of torque was established as 200 rpm in children under the age of 13 yrs. The initial recommended speed of 300 rpm increases healing time when performing osteotomies in children. Conclusion. Truly percutaneous surgery can be performed to osteotomise the femur and tibia using a cooled, side cutting burr with a locked femoral nail and crossed tibial wires with excellent cosmetic results and minimal complications. Level of Evidence IV

Aim. In patients with bone sarcoma, placing mega prostheses in the proximal tibia is associated with high rates of infection. In studies with small numbers of patients and short follow-up periods, silver-coated mega prostheses have been reported to lead to reduced infection rates. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the largest one that has compared the infection rates with titanium versus silver-coated mega prostheses in patients treated for sarcomas in the proximal tibia. Method. The infection rate in 98 patients with sarcoma or giant cell tumour in the proximal tibia who underwent placement of a titanium (n = 42) or silver-coated (n = 56) mega prosthesis. *. was assessed, along with the treatments administered for any infection. Results. As the primary end point of the study, the rates of infection were 16.7% in the titanium group and 8.9% in the silver group, resulting in 5-year prosthesis survival rates of 90% in the silver group and 84% in the titanium group. Overall, seven of 56 patients in the silver group (12.5%) developed periprosthetic infection. Two patients became infected after revision surgery due to mechanical failure of the prosthesis. In the titanium group, one patient developed a periprosthetic infection after revision surgery (which was carried out in 50% of patients) due to a mechanical prosthetic failure, leading to an overall infection rate of 19.0% (eight of 42). Overall, nine of 12 (75%) periprosthetic infections in the two groups occurred within the first 2 years postoperatively, if later revision surgery due to mechanical failure was not necessary. Whereas three of the eight patients in the titanium group (37.5%) ultimately had to undergo amputation due to infected proximal tibia replacement, these mutilating surgical procedures were necessary in the silver group in only one patient (14.3%). In the titanium group, two-stage revision surgery with a temporary antibiotic-impregnated cement spacer was ultimately successful in four of eight patients (50.0%), but this procedure was necessary in only one patient in the silver group (14.3%). Conclusions. The use of silver-coated prostheses reduced the infection rate in a relatively large and homogeneous group of patients. In addition, less aggressive treatment of infection was possible in the group with silver-coated prostheses

We evaluated the efficacy of using the expandable nail for treating non-union and malunion of the tibial and femoral shafts. Records of 20 patients were retrospectively reviewed: 12 had femoral non-union, 7 had tibial non-union, and one had tibial malunion. The bones underwent reaming and the largest possible nail sizes were inserted during reoperation. The mean age of the patients was 35 years (26-49) in the tibia group and 53 years (23-85) in the femur group. The fractures were defined according to AO/OTA classification and divided between open and closed. The initial treatment was 6 interlocking intramedullary nails and 2 external fixation in the tibia group, and 6 interlocking intramedullary nails, 3 plates and screws and 2 proximal femoral nails in the femoral group. The respective intervals between the original trauma and re-operation were 12 months and 15 months and the respective operation times were 59 minutes (35-70) and 68 minutes (20-120). All fractures healed satisfactorily without the need for an additional procedure. Healing time was 26 weeks (6-52) and 14 weeks (6-26) in the tibia and femur group, respectively. Limb shortenings of 10cm and 4cm were recorded in one patient each in the tibia group and of 3cm in one patient in the femur group. Using the expandable nail system permitted us to ream the bone and expand the nail to its maximal diameter, i.e. up to 16mm in the tibia and 19mm in the femur. We believe that using a bigger nail diameter contributes to better stabilisation of the fracture and promotes better and faster bone healing. Based on our experience, we recommend the use of the expandable nail system to treat tibia and femur shaft non-unions and malunions

Fracture of the Tibia in children usually are treated conservatively. Isoelastic intramendullary nails is an excellent method in order to fix the instable fracture of the shaft of the tibia. The method has a low rate of complications and combines the advantages of the closed reduction and internal fixation technique with the conservative method. The technique allows a precocious weight bearing. Our retrospective study consider the clinical and radiological outcome of the tibia fractures fixed with intramedullary nails by Metaizeau. From January 2000 till June 2004 over 150 tibia fracture were observed in our Institution. 14 instable shaft tibia fracture were treated with intramedullary nails. Medium follow up is 33.6 months. Mean Age 11.7 years. All fractures healed in a mean time of 11 weeks. No infection, no damage of the physis or refracture were observed. Metaizeau nails give an elastic but in the same time a stable fixation. This point is very important especially when we have to treat a patient with associated lesions. The technique has a low rate of infections and recurrence

1. Three cases of infantile pseudarthrosis of the tibia treated successfully by delayed autogenous by-pass graft are reported. 2. The delayed autogenous graft is stouter, stronger and more easily handled and has enhanced osteogenic properties than a graft transferred immediately. 3. The by-pass graft commends itself, firstly, because it does not disturb the pseudarthrosis, which in consequence helps the immobilisation of the graft; secondly, because it is well embedded in healthy bone above and below, well away from the abnormal bone; thirdly, because it lies under compression and, ideally, is vertically disposed between the knee and the ankle; and fourthly, because there is no devitalising stripping of periosteum or introduction of foreign bodies. 4. Support to the grafted leg is needed for at least five years, but only by a polythene splint after four to six months. 5. With early grafting the deformity straightens out and shortening is overcome, as there is early return to normal use of the limb. 6. Prolonged follow-up is called for lest the basic lesion in the tibia should extend. 7. Fibrous dysplasia and similar fibrous lesions of bone account for many cases of infantile pseudarthrosis of the tibia. Many of these lesions are congenital and subsequently lead to fracture. 8. Postponement of surgery should not be countenanced

Congenital unilateral anterolateral tibial bowing in combination with a bifid ipsilateral great toe is a very rare deformity which resembles the anterolateral tibial bowing that occurs in association with congenital pseudarthrosis of the tibia. However, spontaneous resolution of the deformity without operative treatment and with a continuously straight fibula has been described in all previously reported cases. We report three additional cases and discuss the options for treatment. We suggest that this is a specific entity within the field of anterolateral bowing of the tibia and conclude that it has a much better prognosis than congenital pseudarthrosis of the tibia, although conservative treatment alone may not be sufficient

Aim: We present our experience of the treatment of the ipsilateral fractures of the femur and tibia. The so called “floating knee” is such a fracture caused by a high energy injury. Method: During the last five years we admitted 19 patients with ipsilateral fractures of the femur and tibia. There were 18 men and one woman. Seven of them had a late treatment, after their discharge from th I.C.U. (Intensive Care Unit.). We classified our patients in three groups. In the first group there were 9 closed fractures of the femoral and the tibial shafts. The treatment composed of a tibial nailing combined with a retroverted femoral one. Three out of six patients of the second group had a joint fracture of the femur combined with a closed fracture of the tibia. In the rest of them an exactly reversed condition existed. They were all treated with internal fixation of the femur combined with an external fixation of the tibia. In thee out of four patients of the third group there was an open fracture of the shaft of the femur. They were all treated with intramedulary nailing of both femur and tibia. The fourth one had an open fracture of the tibia and had external fixation of both femur and tibia. Results: Six patients developed a delayed union and finally healed: one patient developed a pseudarthrosis that was healed after a second osteosynthesis and bone grafting: two patients had a shorter leg of 1–1.5 cm and another one had a50 varus knee. There were no postoperative infections or amputations one femoral nail failed because of breakage. Conclusion: We consider that the intramedullary nailing of the femur and the tibia is mostly indicated for the floating knee in cases with no soft tissue damage or pacticipation of the joint itself. Our results were very satisfactory in all cases we applied this method

The term Volkmann’s triangle for the avulsed posterior edge of the tibia in fracture-dislocations of the ankle is incorrect. Volkmann did not publish any articles relating to the posterior edge of the tibia. Credit should go to Henry Earle, who was an outstanding British surgeon of the first half of 19th century. He described avulsion of the posterior edge of the tibia in 1828. In 1823 he also published a monograph entitled Practical observations in surgery in which he described a specially designed bed for the conservative treatment of proximal fractures of the femur

Introduction. We investigated the usefulness of flap surgery for Gustilo type IIIB and C severe open fracture of the tibia, for which treatment is difficult. Materials & Methods. The subjects were 16 patients with severe open fracture of the tibia who received a treatment at our division between April 2000 and October 2008. There were 13 males and 3 females, and the mean age at injury was 41.2 years. Radical debridement and temporal external fixation were performed on the day of injury, and soft tissue reconstruction and definitive osteosynthesis were performed within a few days after injury to the best. Results. The affected limb was salvaged in all patients. Primary bone healing was obtained in 13 of the 16 patients, and the mean bone healing time was 5.5 months (3–7 months). The patient with delayed bone healing underwent additional bone grafting and achieved bone healing. Concomitant osteomyelitis occurred in 4 of 16 patinets (25%). Leg shortening was observed in 1 patient, but the shortening was only 2 cm. No patient exhibited 10 or more degrees of angular deformity or malrotation. In addition, relatively good ranges of motion of the knee and ankle joints were maintained, and all patients became able to walk without a stick within 1 year after injury. Discussion & Conclusion. Early flap surgery was effective for severe open fracture of the tibia

A percutaneous supramalleolar osteotomy with multiple drill holes and closed osteoclasis was used to correct rotational deformities of the tibia in patients with cerebral palsy. The technique is described and the results in 247 limbs (160 patients) are reported. The mean age at the time of surgery was 10.7 years (4 to 20). The radiographs were analysed for time to union, loss of correction, and angulation at the site of the osteotomy. Bone healing was obtained in all patients except one in a mean period of seven weeks (5 to 12). Malunion after loss of reduction at the site of the osteotomy developed in one tibia. Percutaneous supramalleolar osteotomy of the tibia is a safe and simple surgical procedure

There are several case reports or small series of stress tibial fracture around the OA knees in literature. Our study goes on 10 tibial stress fracture in 9 patients. All of the fractures have been distal to proximal tibial methaphysis. 8 of them have been in mid shaft or proximal of mid tibia, only 2 had fractures in distal half of tibia 8 were manage by braces for at least 8 months post TKA. Left side of the Bilateral one was fixed by simple IM nail and in 10 months was changed by TKA. Another very interesting case after failure of plate fixation without revision of knee was fixed by custom – made extended nail that attached to tibial tray. Conclusion: for all patients who are candidate to underwent T K A procedure, an update 3 – joints view is mandatory. Beside of patho anatomy and preoperative planning 3-joints view helps us to assure about peri arthicular stress (pathologic) fractures

Fourteen cases of pseudarthrosis of the tibia in childhood presented at a hospital in Burma over a period of eight years. The ages of the patients ranged from one month to seventeen years. Nine were treated by a pointed graft driven into the medullary cavity of the distal tibia, and usually across the ankle joint into the body of the talus, before fixation to the proximal tibia. In six of the nine union was secured, but one case required a second grafting. Transarticular segments of graft showed a marked tendency to undergo absorption. No significant deformity was observed to follow central penetration of the growth plate and epiphysis of the lower tibia