OBJECTIVE: To explore the effectiveness of additional anti-rotation steel plate assisted intramedullary nail technology in treatment of aseptic femoral non-union patients. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 21 patients with aseptic femoral non-union who admitted between September 2020 and October 2024 and treated with additional anti-rotation steel plate assisted intramedullary nail technology. There were 17 males and 4 females, aged 25-67 years (mean, 44 years). There were 19 cases of femoral anterograde intramedullary nail fixation, 1 case of femoral retrograde intramedullary nail fixation, and 1 case of steel plate fixation with fatigue fracture. There were 9 cases of hypertrophic non-union and 12 cases of atrophic non-union. All patients had varying degrees of fracture end atrophy/sclerosis. Among them, 20 patients who were fixed with intramedullary nails underwent removal of soft tissue and hardened bone at the fracture end, and cortical treatment resulted in the appearance of "chili sign" at the fracture end. Iliac bone grafting and anti-rotation steel plate fixation were performed. One patient with steel plate fixation was removed the steel palte and fixed with a retrograde intramedullary nail, while the hardened bone at the fracture end was removed, iliac bone grafting and anti-rotation steel plate fixation were performed. Postoperative follow-up observation included the incision healing, maximum knee flexion range of motion, bone healing, length of lower limbs, and subjective satisfaction. The lower extremity functional scale (LEFS) score was used to evaluate the lower limb function. RESULTS: All incisions healed by first intention. All patients were followed up 7-26 months (mean, 15.5 months). At last follow-up, the femoral fracture healed with the obvious callus formation at the fracture end; the maximum knee flexion range of motion was 95°-127° (mean, 112.67°). The LEFS score increased from 29.9±6.7 before operation to 75.9±3.0 at last follow-up, and the difference was significant (t=-29.622, P<0.001). Except for 1 patient who underwent intramedullary nail dynamic treatment before operation and had a lower limb shortening of about 0.9 cm, the other patients had bilateral lower limbs of equal length. All patients had no postoperative infections, mal-union of fractures, deep vein thrombosis, joint stiffness, or other complications. CONCLUSION The use of additional anti-rotation steel plate assisted intramedullary nail technology in the treatment of aseptic femoral non-union not only overcomes the drawbacks of insufficient stability at the fracture end of intramedullary nails, but also overcomes the shortcomings of biased fixation with steel plates. It has the advantages of minimal trauma, effective maintenance of fracture stability, and ideal postoperative functional recovery, making it an effective treatment for aseptic femoral non-union.
Humans ; Male ; Fracture Fixation, Intramedullary/instrumentation* ; Female ; Bone Plates ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; Femoral Fractures/surgery* ; Retrospective Studies ; Bone Nails ; Aged ; Fractures, Ununited/surgery* ; Treatment Outcome ; Bone Transplantation/methods* ; Steel ; Fracture Healing

OBJECTIVE: To explore the methods, fixation points, and effectiveness of staged therapy using external fixation frame in treatment of infectious nonunion near knee joint. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 60 patients with infectious nonunion near knee joint, who underwent staged therapy using external fixation frame between June 2021 and June 2024 and were followed up. There were 48 males and 12 females with an average age of 47.9 years (range, 16-70 years). The disease duration ranged from 9 months to 20 years, with a median of 14 months. Among them, 21 cases of infectious nonunion located in the distal femur, 36 cases in the proximal tibia, and 3 cases in the patella; 12 cases exhibited segmental bone defects (≥4 cm), while 48 cases presented with localized bone defects (<4 cm). Osteomyelitis was classified using the Cierny-Mader system, with 3 cases classified as type Ⅰ, 6 cases as type Ⅱ, 35 cases as type Ⅲ, and 16 cases as type Ⅳ. Preoperative C-reactive protein levels ranged from 15.1 to 55.8 mg/L (mean, 36.4 mg/L). The erythrocyte sedimentation rate was 35-80 mm/1 h (mean, 56.9 mm/1 h). The Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) score for knee joint was 69.3±17.7 and the range of motion was (70.61±40.60)°. After debridement and placement of antibiotic carriers at the first-stage operation, unilateral orbital frames ( n=14), combined frames ( n=27), or Ilizarov frames ( n=19) were used for cross joint fixation ( n=9) or joint preservation fixation ( n=51). After 6-8 weeks of infection control, the bone grafting or bone transport was performed at the second-stage operation based on the type of bone defect, with internal fixation employed as an adjunct if necessary. After operation, the infection control and fracture healing were observed and the bone healing time was recorded. The knee joint function was assessed using the HSS score, and the knee joint range of motion was measured as well as the angle of motion loss. Patients were grouped according to the site of nonunion, type of external fixation frame, and fixation method. The bone healing time, change value of HSS score, and knee joint range of motion loss (difference between pre- and post-operation) were compared between groups. RESULTS: All infection markers returned to the normal range within 6 weeks after the first-stage operation. All patients were followed up 12-48 months (mean, 22.0 months) after the second-stage operation. There were 5 cases of needle tract infection during the external fixation period, and 3 cases of infection recurrence after the second-stage operation, all of which were cured after symptomatic treatment. The bone healing time was 6-18 months (mean, 11.0 months). At last follow-up, the HSS score was 88.5±7.9 and the range of motion was (61.84±40.59)°, with significant differences compared to preoperative values ( P<0.05); the knee joint range of motion loss was (8.77±11.07)°. The bone healing time was significantly longer in the distal femur group than in the proximal tibia group ( P<0.05), and in the unilateral orbital frames group than in the Ilizarov frames group and the combined frames group ( P<0.05). The angle of motion loss was significantly larger in the Ilizarov frames group than in the unilateral orbital frames group and the combined frames group ( P<0.05). The change value of HSS score was significantly higher in the cross joint fixation group than in the joint preservation fixation group ( P<0.05). CONCLUSION During the first-stage operation, debridement is performed and antibiotic carriers are placed to control infection. External fixation frames are then precisely positioned based on the distance between the lesion and the joint surface, avoiding the infected wound while ensuring mechanical balance. During the second-stage operation, bone grafting options are selected according to the extent of bone defects to enhance the bone union. Postoperative early functional exercises of the knee joint are permitted to improve joint function.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; Fractures, Ununited/surgery* ; Retrospective Studies ; External Fixators ; Aged ; Knee Joint/surgery* ; Adolescent ; Young Adult ; Treatment Outcome ; Osteomyelitis/surgery* ; Fracture Fixation/instrumentation* ; Bone Transplantation ; Tibial Fractures/surgery*

OBJECTIVE: To compare the effectiveness of dynamic fixation and plate augmentation combined with bone grafting for femoral nonunion after interlocking intramedullary nails. METHODS: Between January 2008 and December 2022, a total of 128 patients who developed femoral nonunion following static fixation with interlocking intramedullary nailing were retrospectively analyzed. All patients underwent either dynamic intramedullary nail fixation or plate fixation with bone grafting while retaining the original intramedullary nail. There were 104 males and 24 females;the age ranged from 19 to 59 years old with an average of(32.70±9.21) years old. Patients were categorized into dynamization group and plate group based on the distinct treatment modalities. There were 67 patients in the dynamization group, comprising 54 males and 13 females. The age range was from 19 to 58 years old, with a mean age of (32.68±9.33) years old. All patients underwent open reduction and anterograde interlocking intramedullary nail fixation. Dynamic fixation was implemented between 10 and 28 months postoperatively.The plate group comprised 61 patients, of whom 50 were male and 11 were female. The age distribution ranged from 20 to 59 years old, with a mean age of (32.84±9.07) years old. All patients underwent open reduction and anterograde interlocking intramedullary nailing. Plate reinforcement fixation was performed between 10 and 30 months postoperatively. The incision length, duration of surgery, intraoperative blood loss, hospitalization period, fracture healing status, and incidence of complications were compared between the two groups of patients. RESULTS: All patients were followed up for a minimum duration of 1 year. The mean follow-up period for the dynamization group was(26.12±11.82) months, compared to (26.57±12.48) months for the plate group. No statistically significant difference was observed between the two groups (P>0.05). The incision size (2.73±1.21) cm, operation time (22.73±3.20) min and blood loss (19.06±6.22) ml in the dynamization group were significantly less than those in the plate group(22.53±2.24) cm, (126.40±13.91) min and(237.36±81.56) ml, respectively(P<0.05). All nonunion in the plate group were successfully healed, and the healing time duration ranged from 4 to 7 months with an average of(6.16±0.99) months. In the dynamization group, a total of 42 patients achieved fracture healing, with a healing duration ranging from 4 to 8 months with an average of (6.26±1.23) months. There was significant difference in healing rate between 2 groups (P<0.05), but there was no significant difference in healing time between 2 groups (P>0.05). The average treatment cost was(17 700.18±4 846.27) yuan in the plate group and (334.24±18.16) yuan in the dynamization group, and there was significant difference in costs between 2 groups (P<0.05). CONCLUSION Either dynamic fixation or plate augmentation combined with bone grafting is an effective method, but dynamic fixation is superior to plate augmentation combined with bone grafting for the treatment of femoral hyperplastic nonunion after interlocking intramedullary nails. Dynamic fixation offers several advantages, including simplified procedures, reduced trauma, and cost-effectiveness in medical expenses, making it superior to additional plate fixation combined with bone grafting. However, dynamic fixation is not suitable for the treatment of femoral atrophic nonunion.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Adult ; Middle Aged ; Fracture Fixation, Intramedullary/adverse effects* ; Femoral Fractures/surgery* ; Fractures, Ununited/surgery* ; Bone Nails ; Retrospective Studies ; Bone Plates ; Young Adult

PURPOSE: To methodically assess the effectiveness of augmentative plating (AP) and exchange nailing (EN) in managing nonunion following intramedullary nailing for long bone fractures of the lower extremity. METHODS: PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library were searched to gather clinical studies regarding the use of AP and EN techniques in the treatment of nonunion following intramedullary nailing of lower extremity long bones. The search was conducted up until May 2023. The original studies underwent an independent assessment of their quality, a process conducted utilizing the Newcastle-Ottawa scale. Data were retrieved from these studies, and meta-analysis was executed utilizing Review Manager 5.3. RESULTS: This meta-analysis included 8 studies involving 661 participants, with 305 in the AP group and 356 in the EN group. The results of the meta-analysis demonstrated that the AP group exhibited a higher rate of union (odds ratio: 8.61, 95% confidence intervals (CI): 4.12 - 17.99, p < 0.001), shorter union time (standardized mean difference (SMD): -1.08, 95% CI: -1.79 - -0.37, p = 0.003), reduced duration of the surgical procedure (SMD: -0.56, 95% CI: -0.93 - -0.19, p = 0.003), less bleeding (SMD: -1.5, 95% CI: -2.81 - -0.18, p = 0.03), and a lower incidence of complications (relative risk: -0.17, 95% CI: -0.27 - -0.06, p = 0.001). In the subgroup analysis, the time for union in the AP group in nonisthmal and isthmal nonunion of lower extremity long bones was shorter compared to the EN group (nonisthmal SMD: -1.94, 95% CI: -3.28 - -0.61, p < 0.001; isthmal SMD: -1.08, 95% CI: -1.64 - -0.52, p = 0.002). CONCLUSION In the treatment of nonunion in diaphyseal fractures of the long bones in the lower extremity, the AP approach is superior to EN, both intraoperatively (with reduced duration of the surgical procedure and diminished blood loss) and postoperatively (with an elevated union rate, shorter union time, and lower incidence of complications). Specifically, in the management of nonunion of lower extremity long bones with non-isthmal and isthmal intramedullary nails, AP demonstrated shorter union time in comparison to EN.
Humans ; Bone Nails/adverse effects* ; Bone Plates/adverse effects* ; Femoral Fractures/surgery* ; Fracture Fixation, Intramedullary/methods* ; Fractures, Ununited/surgery* ; Lower Extremity/injuries*

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effectiveness of arthroscopic treatment of scaphoid fracture nonunion with bone graft and Kirschner wire combined with screw fixation. METHODS: The clinical data of 14 patients with scaphoid fracture nonunion who met the selection criteria between February 2021 and September 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. There were 13 males and 1 female with an average age of 32 years ranging from 17 to 54 years. The time from injury to operation ranged from 6 to 15 months, with an average of 9.6 months. According to the Slade-Geissler classification of scaphoid fracture nonunion, there were 3 cases of grade Ⅲ, 8 cases of grade Ⅳ, and 3 cases of grade Ⅴ. The preoperative visual analogue scale (VAS) score was 5.9±1.0, and the modified Mayo wrist score was 53.2±9.1. There were 2 cases of scaphoid nonunion advanced collapse, both of which were stage Ⅰ. All patients were treated with arthroscopic bone graft and Kirschner wire combined with screw fixation, and the fracture healing was observed by X-ray film monthly after operation, and the effectiveness was evaluated by VAS score and modified Mayo wrist score before and after operation. RESULTS: All patients were followed up 6-14 months, with an average of 8.4 months. All fractures healed in 4-8 months, with an average of 6.3 months. The postoperative pain symptoms and wrist function of the patients significantly improved when compared with those before operation, and the VAS score at last follow-up was 2.4±1.3, and the modified Mayo wrist score was 87.1±6.7, which were significantly different from those before operation ( t=12.851, P<0.001; t=-14.410, P<0.001). According to the modified Mayo wrist evaluation, 9 cases were excellent, 3 cases were good, and 2 cases were fair. CONCLUSION Arthroscopic bone graft and Kirschner wire combined with screw fixation is an effective surgical method for the treatment of scaphoid fracture nonunion.
Male ; Humans ; Female ; Adult ; Fractures, Bone/surgery* ; Bone Wires ; Scaphoid Bone/injuries* ; Retrospective Studies ; Fracture Fixation, Internal/methods* ; Fractures, Ununited/surgery* ; Wrist Injuries/surgery* ; Bone Screws ; Hand Injuries ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVE: To explore clinical effect of attaching locking plate with bone grafting based on retaining the original intramedullary nail in treating non-union after intramedullary nail fixation of long shaft fractures of lower limbs. METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted on 20 patients treated with non-union fractures after intramedullary nailing of long shaft fractures of lower limbs from June 2015 to June 2020. All patients were treated with the original intramedullary nailing and bone grafting from the iliac bone, and were underwent open reduction plate internal fixation and bone grafting for old fractures. Among them, 14 were males and 6 were females, aged from 35 to 56 years old with an average of (42.2±9.6) years old. Nine patients were femoral shaft fracture and 11 patients were tibial shaft fracture. According to characteristics of fracture end nonunion, 6 patients were stable/atrophic, 9 patients were unstable/large, and 5 patients were unstable/atrophic. The nonunion time ranged from 8 to 12 months with an average of(9.8±2.0) months after the initial surgery. Visual analogue scale (VAS), knee range of motion, bone healing time, complications and fracture-end healing were recorded before and at the latest follow-up. RESULTS: All patients were followed up for 18 to 48 months with an average of (36.3±10.5) months. The incision of all patients were healed at stageⅠwithout complications such as infection or internal fixation ruptur. Healing time of femur and tibia was (8.5±2.6) months and (9.5±2.2) months. Knee joint motion increased from preoperative (101.05±8.98) ° to postoperative (139.35±8.78) ° at the latest follow-up (t=-12.845, P<0.001). VAS decreased from preoperative (5.15±1.72) to postoperative (0.75±0.96) at the latest follow-up (t=11.186, P<0.001). CONCLUSION On the basis of retaining the original intramedullary nail, the addition of locking plate internal fixation and autogenous iliac bone grafting have advantages of simple operation, less trauma, fewer complications and high fracture healing rate. It is one of the effective surgical schemes for the treatment of nonunion after intramedullary nail fixation of long bone fracture of lower extremity.
Male ; Female ; Humans ; Adult ; Middle Aged ; Bone Transplantation ; Retrospective Studies ; Bone Plates ; Fracture Fixation, Intramedullary/adverse effects* ; Femoral Fractures/complications* ; Lower Extremity ; Fractures, Ununited/surgery* ; Fracture Healing ; Tibial Fractures/complications* ; Bone Nails ; Treatment Outcome

Objective: To explore the long-term effect of combined surgery for the treatment of congenital tibial pseudarthrosis in children. Methods: The clinical data of 44 children with congenital tibial pseudarthrosis who underwent combined surgery (tibial pseudarthrosis tissue resection, intramedullary rod fixation, Ilizarov external fixator fixation, wrapped autologous iliac bone graft) from August 2007 to October 2011 at the Department of Pediatric Orthopedics, Hunan Children's Hospital were collected retrospectively. There were 33 males and 11 females. The age at the time of surgery was (3.7±2.2)years (range:0.6 to 12.4 years), including 25 cases under 3 years old and 19 cases above 3 years old.Among them, 37 cases were complicated with neurofibromatosis type 1.The operation status, postoperative complications and follow-up results were recorded. Results: The follow-up time after surgery was (10.9±0.7)years (range:10 to 11 years).Thirty-nine out of 44 patients (88.6%) achieved initial healing of tibial pseudarthrosis, with an average healing time of (4.3±1.1)months (range:3 to 10months).In the last follow-up, 36 cases (81.8%) had unequal tibial length, 20 cases (45.4%) had refractures, 18 cases (40.9%) had ankle valgus, 9 cases (20.4%) had proximal tibial valgus, and 11 cases (25.0%) had high arched feet.Nine cases (20.4%) developed distal tibial epiphyseal plate bridging.17 cases (38.6%) had abnormal tibial mechanical axis.Seven cases (15.9%) developed needle infection, and one case (2.3%) developed tibial osteomyelitis. 21 patients (47.7%) had excessive growth of the affected femur.Five patients (11.3%) had ankle stiffness, and 34 patients (77.2%) had intramedullary rod displacement that was not in the center of the tibial medullary cavity.Among them, 8 cases (18.1%) protruded the tibial bone cortex and underwent intramedullary rod removal.18 children have reached skeletal maturity, while 26 children have not been followed up until skeletal maturity. Conclusion: Combined surgery for the treatment of congenital pseudarthrosis of the tibia in children has a high initial healing rate, but complications such as unequal tibia length, refracture, and ankle valgus occur during long-term follow-up, requiring multiple surgical treatments.
Male ; Female ; Humans ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Pseudarthrosis/congenital* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Retrospective Studies ; Tibia/surgery* ; Neurofibromatosis 1 ; Tibial Fractures/surgery*

Child ; Fractures, Ununited/surgery* ; Humans ; Postoperative Period

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical effect of double plate combined with iliac bone graft in the treatment of femoral nonunion after intramedullary nailing. METHODS: From December 2008 to December 2017, double plate combined with autogenous iliac bone graft was used to treat femoral nonunion after intramedullary nailing. There were 11 cases, including 10 males and 1 female, aged 35 to 62 years, and the time from fracture to nonunion was 12 to 20 months. According to Judet classification, there were 8 cases of atrophic nonunion and 3 cases of proliferative nonunion. Regular follow-up was conducted after operation to record the fracture healing time, load-bearing activity time and complications, and to observe the repair effect of double plate fixation combined with iliac bone graft on nonunion after femoral shaft fracture operation. RESULTS: All patients were followed up for 12 to 22 months. The operation time was 70 to 130 min and the blood loss was 180 to 350 ml. After operation, 2 cases had knee stiffness, which recovered after passive exercise with CPM machine for 2 weeks;1 case had pain in iliac bone donor area, which was relieved after 3 months. The time of fracture healing was 24 to 40 weeks, and the time of complete weight-bearing activity was 14 to 32 weeks. SF-36 quality of life score at the final follow-up:body pain 70 to 82, activty 70 to 82, social function 72 to 83, the overall health 72 to 82. At the end of the follow-up, there were no complications such as limb shortening, infection, poor wound healing, internal fixation failure (fracture, loosening). CONCLUSION It is an effective method to treat nonunion of femur after intramedullary nailing by using double plate combined with autogenous iliac bone graft.
Adult ; Bone Nails ; Bone Plates ; Bone Transplantation ; Female ; Femoral Fractures/surgery* ; Femur ; Fracture Fixation, Intramedullary ; Fracture Healing ; Fractures, Ununited/surgery* ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Quality of Life ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVE: Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) is commonly used surgical procedure for cervical degenerative disease. Among the various intervertebral spacers, the use of allografts is increasing due to its advantages such as no harvest site complications and low rate of subsidence. Although subsidence is a rare complication, graft collapse is often observed in the follow-up period. Graft collapse is defined as a significant graft height loss without subsidence, which can lead to clinical deterioration due to foraminal re-stenosis or segmental kyphosis. However, studies about the collapse of allografts are very limited. In this study, we evaluated risk factors associated with graft collapse.METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 33 patients who underwent two level ACDF with anterior plating using allogenous bone graft from January 2013 to June 2017. Various factors related to cervical sagittal alignment were measured preoperatively (PRE), postoperatively (POST), and last follow-up. The collapse was defined as the ratio of decrement from POST disc height to follow-up disc height. We also defined significant collapses as disc heights that were decreased by 30% or more after surgery. The intraoperative distraction was defined as the ratio of increment from PRE disc height to POST disc height.RESULTS: The subsidence rate was 4.5% and graft collapse rate was 28.8%. The pseudarthrosis rate was 16.7% and there was no association between pseudarthrosis and graft collapse. Among the collapse-related risk factors, pre-operative segmental angle (p=0.047) and intra-operative distraction (p=0.003) were significantly related to allograft collapse. The cut-off value of intraoperative distraction ≥37.3% was significantly associated with collapse (p=0.009; odds ratio, 4.622; 95% confidence interval, 1.470-14.531). The average time of events were as follows: collapse, 5.8±5.7 months; subsidence, 0.99±0.50 months; and instrument failure, 9.13±0.50 months.CONCLUSION: We experienced a higher frequency rate of collapse than subsidence in ACDF using an allograft. Of the various pre-operative factors, intra-operative distraction was the most predictable factor of the allograft collapse. This was especially true when the intraoperative distraction was more than 37%, in which case the occurrence of graft collapse increased 4.6 times. We also found that instrument failure occurs only after the allograft collapse.
Allografts ; Cervical Vertebrae ; Diskectomy ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Kyphosis ; Odds Ratio ; Prosthesis Failure ; Pseudarthrosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Assessment ; Risk Factors ; Spinal Fusion ; Transplants