OBJECTIVETo investigate the early clinical efficacy of induced membrane technique for reconstruction of large bone defects after debridement in adults with chronic osteomyelitis of limbs.

METHODSFrom March 2010 to March 2012,a total of 23 adult patients with chronic osteomyelitis of limbs were treated in our department. There were 15 males and 8 females, with a mean age 35.2 years old (ranged from 26 to 49 years old). Sixteen patients had open fracture history. According to the lesion site, there were 12 cases of tibia, 7 cases of femur, 3 cases of humerus, and 1 case of both radius and ulna. Among them, 19 patients had diseases in diaphysis and 4 patients in the metaphysis. The mean interval from infection to operation was 6.9 months (ranged from 4 to 13 months). All the patients were treated by using induced membrane technique. The follow-up evaluation included clinical complications, time of bone healing and limbs function. The Chinese version of SF-36 scores was used in the assessment of quality of life pre- and post-operation.

RESULTSThe average duration of follow-up was (27.6 ± 5.3) months (ranged from 18 to 43 months). Two patients had postoperative flap edge necrosis, 1 patient had superficial iliac incision infection, no obvious complications were recorded. Twenty patients obtained radiological union at a mean time of 4.6 months (ranged from 3 to 7 months). Among them, 16 patients treated with lower limbs surgery achieved full weight-bearing at about 5.2 months (ranged from 4 to 8 months) postoperatively. Four patients suffered from reinfection during follow-up, but 3 of them achieved complete bone healing after the second surgeries with induced membrane technique. At the final follow-up, there was a substantial improvement in each dimension scores and total scores of SF-36 as compared with those before surgery.

CONCLUSIONWhen treating with adult chronic osteomyelitis of limbs, the induced membrane technique can effectively reconstruct large bone defects after debridement, significantly shorten treatment cycle, provide satisfactory results with minimal complications, promote good recovery of limbs function and require relatively simple operation technique.