J Korean Fract Soc.  1998 Jul;11(3):540-545. 10.12671/jksf.1998.11.3.540.

The Treatment of Infected Nonunion of Femur after Open Reduction and Internal Fixation

• kyung HS
• Ihn JC
• Park BC
• Kim YG

• KMID: 1943967
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.12671/jksf.1998.11.3.540

Abstract

Infected nonunion developed after open reduction and internal fixation is one of the serious complications among the treatments of fracture of long bone. It is very difficult to eliminate the infection, to correct the deformity and defect at the same time obtaining union. All six cases were male, the average of age was 34 years old from 21 to 49. Five cases were closed fracture and one was open fracture. For the primary internal implant, five cases were plate and one was intramedullary nail. About the 6 cases of infected nonunion of femur from June, 1994 to October, 1996, we performed the following procedure : after removal of internal fixation, extensive debridememt, complete sequestrectomy, firm fixation with Ilizarov external fixator, compression at fracture site and early autogenous cancellous bone graft. We obtained following
results
: 1. The average duration of infection was 7.8 months, average duration of bone union was 5.8 months. Average duration of follow-up was 17.5 months. 2. The average shortening of leg was 1.4cm. 3. According to classification of Paley and Catagni, the bone results were excellent in all cases, functional results were excellent in 4 cases and fair in 2 cases. 4. In conclusion, firm fixation with Ilizarov fixator, sequestrectomy, early autogenous cancellous bone graft and compression is one of the good treatment modalities of infected nonunion of the femur.

Keyword

Femur; Infected nonunion; Bone graft; Ilizarov external fixation

MeSH Terms

Adult
Classification
Congenital Abnormalities
External Fixators
Femur*
Follow-Up Studies
Fractures, Closed
Fractures, Open
Humans
Leg
Male
Transplants