[Objective]To analyze the causes for aseptic shaft nonunion of the lower extremities after intramedullary nailing and to observe the therapeutic effects on bone nonunion by the combined technique of internal bone grafting with blocking screws.[Method]In 12 patients suffering from shaft aseptic nonunion of the low extremities(femur:5 cases;tibia:7 cases;hypertrophic nonunion: 8 cases;atrophic nonunion:4 cases),the therapeutic effects of the method of stabilizing the bone segments(exchanging larger nailing plus blocking screws technique),correcting bone deformity(blocking screws technique plus reduction finger) and reinforcing the bone healing capacity(internal bone grafting technique) were observed respectively.[Result]All patients were followed up for 1-2 years(mean 1.5 years) and all nonunions healed.The union rate was 100% and the period required to achieve union was 4.7-13.5 months(mean 7.8 months).All patients felt no pain at last and no complication occured.[Conclusion]Internal bone grafting combined with blocking screws is an effective treatment for aseptic nonunion of the lower extremities after intramedullary nailing.

[Objective]Pilon fractures are often high-energy injuries.One third to half of these fractures are companied by other fractures or organs injuries.10%~30% Pilon injuries are open fractures.This study was aimed to evaluate the significance of external fixator in the multi-staged management of Pilon fractures.[Method]Ten patients(M=8,F=2) with high-energy Pilon fractures were managed from February 2004 to March 2007.Their average age was 56.2 yrs(range 22 to 72 yrs).All patients underwent external fixation of single-arm external fixator(Orthofix)or Hoffmann external fixator-II(Stryker) in the very early stage.Then it was replaced by strong internal fixation through open reduction or close reduction with the technique of minimally invasive percutaneous plate oesteosynthesis(MIPPO) when general conditions were controlled,the wound surface healed and the soft tissues improved.[Result]The mean duration of external fixation was 13.2 days(range 7-49 days).All the external fixations were changed to internal fixations.All the traumatic and operative wounds healed.All bone fractures united.No compartment syndrome or osteomyelitis occurred in this study.One case of open Pilon fracture was found infection after external fixation.It was changed to internal plate fixation after 7 weeks of anti-infection treatment.The infection was controlled and the bone reunited.[Conclusion]For high-energy Pilon fractures,multi-staged management,including correct evaluation of local soft tissue injuries and general conditions,proper damage control via external fixator,and right timing to change to internal fixator,is safe and effective.

Objective To evaluate the effectiveness of water jet debridement combined with negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) for the treatment of early infection after fracture internal fixation.Methods The study cohort included 6 men and one woman with an average age of 43.6 years (range,from 36 to 58 years) who had presented with early infection after fracture internal fixation from October 2013 to March 2015.All the patients sustained closed fractures initially.The wound debridement was done within 3 to 5 days after the infection was confirmed.The length and depth of an incision was determined by the methylene staining range.Water jet was used to eliminate the dying tissues thoroughly from a shallower layer to a deeper layer while the internal fixator was retained.The wound was closed by full thickness sutures in a sparse fashion for drainage.Sensitive antibiotics were systematically administered for all the patients.The NPWT device was kept for 5 days.Results All the wounds healed uneventfully after an average of 18 days (range,from 10 to 25 days).The mean follow-up time was 12 months (range,from 8 to 24 months).No antibiotics were used during follow-up.There were no local or systematical symptoms like new sinus,broken wound or fever.Bony callus formed at the fracture sites after an average of 4.3 months (range,from 2.5 to 8.0 months) and no fracture nonunion happened.All the fractures healed after an average of 10.1 months (range,from 5.5 to 16.0 months).All the patients were satisfied with their treatment outcomes.Conclusion Since water jet provides simple,rapid and radical debridement while NPWT simplifies operative procedures and promotes wound healing,combination of the two can be an effective treatment for early infection after fracture internal fixation.

Objective: To investigate the effects of icariin (ICA) on serum bone turnover markers expressions and histological changes of cartilage and subchondral bone in mouse osteoarthritis (OA) model.

Objective To explore the operative techniques for AO/OTA type 31-A3.1 and 31-A3.2 intertrochanteric fractures fixed with intrameduallary nail.Methods Seventy-four cases of unstable intertrochanteric fracture (AO/OTA type 31-A3.1 and 31-A3.2) from January 2007 to December 2010 were analyzed retrospectively.There were 33 males and 41 females,aged from 36-87 years (mean,71 years).The right hip was involved in 34 patients and the left in 40 patients.The mechanism of injury was traffic injuries in 27 cases,fall damage in 43 cases,injury by falling in 3 case and crush injury in 6 cases.Percutaneous joystick technique,Homann retractor technique,clamp technique and mini-incision was applied to aid reduction during the surgery.All cases were fixed with proximal intrameduallary nail.Clinical and radiographic outcomes were recorded.The postoperative hip function was evaluated using Harris score.Results With the aid of C-arm,closed reduction was performed in 73 cases.Only one patient experienced open reduction because of failure of closed reduction.Sixty-five cases were followed up for 8 to 23 months (mean,14.5 months).Bone union was observed in all cases with the average time of 7.4 months (range,8-23).The operation time,blood loss,the frequency of X-ray exposure was 75±4 minutes,135±5 ml and 24±3 times,respectively.At final follow-up,29 cases were classified as excellent,31 as good,and 5 as fair.The mean Harris hip score was 91.4 points (range,87-95).The overall rate of excellent or good result was 92.3％.Conclusion It is difficult to perform close reduction for unstable intertrochanteric hip fracture (AO/OTA type 31-A3.1and 31-A3.2),especially in relatively young patients.Special operative skills are necessary in some cases.

Objective To explore the therapeutic advantages of suprapatellar nailing for treatment of segmental tibial fractures. Methods Twenty-one tibial segmental fractures were managed and followed-up regularly in our hospital from March 2012 to August 2018. They were 15 males and 6 females, with an average age of 46.0 years (range, from 26 to 71 years). There were 13 cases of type Ⅰ,4 cases of type Ⅱ, 2 cases of typeⅢand 2 cases of typeⅣ, according to Melis classification. There were totally 10 open fractures (5 cases of type Ⅰ, 2 cases of type Ⅱ, one case of type ⅢA and 2 cases of type ⅢB, according to Gustilo classification). All the cases received closed reduction and internal fixation with suprapatellar locked tibial nailing of the third generation. Non-weight-bearing exercises of the knee and ankle and muscular strength training for the low ex-tremity commenced 3 days after internal fixation. The knee functions were evaluated postoperatively using the Lysholm knee scoring. Results All the 21 cases were followed up for 10 to 36 months (average, 17.8 months; more than 3 times during at least 10 months). X-ray revealed occurrence of the callus from 2 to 11 months (average, 7.1 months) after operation. One case of nonunion occurred at the tibial mid-shaft. There was no wound infection, soft tissue necrosis or osteomyelitis. Two cases complained of knee pain and 5 cases of ankle pain, with VAS scores ranging from 2 to 3. After symptomatic management, the knee pain was relieved in 2 cases after 5 months and the ankle pain was relieved in 3 cases. The average Lysholm score 10 months after surgery was 95 points (range, from 87 to 99 points). Conclusion Suprapatellar nailing is an effective treatment for segmental tibial shaft fractures, especially for those involving injuries to the metaphyseal region and peripatellar soft tissue, because it can provide effective fixation of the multiple metaphyseal fractures and avoid disadvantages of conventional intramedullary nailing, leading to limited postoperative knee pain.