Orthoplastics

INTRODUCTION: Replication of the thin and pliable native skin around the ankle remains a challenge for plastic surgeons treating soft tissue defects in this region. Flap reconstruction constitutes the mainstay of management of such injuries. Subsequent management often entails revisional debulking surgery to permit normal footwear and an acceptable aesthetic outcome. In light of limited elective operating capacity throughout the covid-19 pandemic, we adopted an algorithm to inform reconstruction in such injuries and limit the need for revisional surgeries...

INTRODUCTION: Post-traumatic osteomyelitis (OM) is often caused by Staphylococcus aureus. However, occasionally, it is caused by an infection with a rare bacterium. A case of OM caused by Aeromonas hydrophila was first reported in 1975. Since then, only nine cases have been reported, making it a rare disease. Here, we report a case of rare A. hydrophila OM that developed following open tibial fracture (classified as Gustilo-Anderson 3B) caused by an injury in a river. CASE REPORT: The patient was a 50-year-old male who got injured in a river and was diagnosed with open tibial fracture...

UNLABELLED: An unanswered question with open tibial fractures is whether the type of flap used affects hardware retention. Flap survival may not equate hardware retention or limb salvage. In this study, we performed a 10-year single institution review and analysis of all patients who had placement of hardware for open tibial fractures followed by flap coverage. METHODS: Inclusion criteria consisted of patients who underwent pedicled or free flap coverage of Gustilo IIIB or IIIC tibial fractures requiring open reduction and internal fixation...

INTRODUCTION: Open tibia fracture (OTF) causes a considerable increase in morbidity and risk for complications compared to closed fractures. The most significant OTF complication leading to morbidity is commonly considered to be fracture-related infection (FRI). In September 2016, Tampere University Hospital (TAUH) introduced a treatment protocol for OTFs based on the BOAST 4 guideline. The aim of this study is to investigate the outcomes before and after implementation of the OTF treatment protocol...

Background Open fractures associated with significant tissue loss are complex and present challenges in management; they are associated with poor outcomes such as infection, non-union or amputation. This study aimed to evaluate outcomes of using an adjuvant local antibiotic hydroxyapatite bio-composite in the management of open Gustilo-Anderson IIIB fractures with up to eight years of follow-up. Methods This was a retrospective study. A total of 81 patients with Gustilo-Anderson IIIB fractures treated with "fix and flap" limb reconstruction with adjuvant local antibiotic therapy using a bio-composite carrier were reviewed...

Background and Objectives : Open fracture of the lower limb can lead to substantial bone and soft tissue damage, resulting in a challenging reconstructive scenarios, especially in presence of bone or periosteal loss, with a relevant risk of non-union. This work analyzes outcomes of using a double approach for orthoplastic reconstruction, adopting the free medial condyle flap to solve the bone defects, associated to a second free flap for specific soft tissue coverage. Indications, outcomes and reconstructive rationales are discussed...

The orthoplastic treatment of post-traumatic bone infections is complex and requires a multidisciplinary approach using both orthopedic and plastic surgery principles. Its primary goal is to achieve rapid control of the infection through aggressive debridement of the affected tissue, in order to perform a complete reconstruction of the limb. This allows both its salvage and restoration of function. We present a patient with septic non-union secondary to distal tibia fracture with a bone defect of 7 cm and severe soft tissue injury...

BACKGROUND: Free vascularized fibula flap represents the gold standard vascularized bone graft for the management of segmental long bone defects after traumatic injury. The current study represents the largest retrospective multicenter data collection on the use of free fibula flap (FFF) for extremities' orthoplastic reconstruction after trauma aiming to highlight current surgical practice and to set the basis for updating current surgical indications. METHODS: The study is designed as a retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data between 2009 and 2021 from six European University hospitals...

INTRODUCTION: Agricultural polytrauma injuries in children are rare. Rotating blades of a rotavator can cause devastating injuries. CASE REPORT: An 11-year-old male child presented with severe facial avulsion injuries, degloving injury of left lower limb, grade IIIB compound left tibia shaft fracture with a large butterfly fragment, and closed right tibia shaft fracture. General anesthesia through tracheostomy intubation was given. Simultaneous surgical intervention for the face and limbs was performed by a team of experts...

The Achilles tendon rupture represents one of the most common tendon ruptures. Although its primary repair remains the treatment of choice, surgical complications, such as secondary rupture and tendon exposure, require salvage procedures. This study aims to present our orthoplastic approach for the functional reconstruction of composite secondary Achilles tendon defects. Seven patients with chronic open wound and large Achilles tendon defects (Kuwada type IV) underwent one-stage reconstruction between October 2018 and October 2020...

INTRODUCTION: This study describes single-centre outcomes of Gustilo-Anderson type IIIB open fractures in relation to the current standards in the United Kingdom, which aim at performing skeletal fixation and soft tissue coverage at an early stage to salvage the limb and achieve bone union with a minimum infection rate. METHODS: A total of 125 patients with 134 Gustilo-Anderson type IIIB open fractures, who had definitive skeletal fixation with soft tissue coverage between June 2013 and October 2021, were prospectively followed up and included in this study...

We present the case of a 4-year-old male patient, who presented a fat pad injury due to severe degloving associated with an exposed Gustilo Anderson III-B calcaneal fracture plus section of the Achilles tendon, initially managed in another institution with multiple surgical washings plus debridements and skin graft in the heel; however, he presented wound dehiscence, ulceration in the graft area and Cierny Mader III-A chronic osteomyelitis. Given the complexity of the picture, he was referred to our institution for comprehensive resolution of the injury with ostoplastic approach: correction of equinus deformity with Ilizarov type external fixator, reverse flow sural flap, calcaneal bone curettage and lengthening of the Achilles tendon with satisfactory resolution of the case...

BACKGROUND: The British Orthopaedic Association Standards for Orthopaedics and Trauma 4 (BOAST 4) inform the management of open lower-limb fractures. The authors conducted repeated reviews of performance against these standards over a 12-year period. This latest iteration has shown further improvements in outcomes concomitant with changes in service delivery. METHODS: Data on Gustilo-Anderson grade IIIB or IIIC open lower-limb fractures were collected from a prospectively constructed departmental database and analyzed using Excel...

BACKGROUND: The knee region represents a challenging area of soft tissue reconstruction. Specifically, in the context of total knee arthroplasty (TKA) or following high-energy trauma with fractures and hardware fixation, soft tissue defects can expose critical structures such as joint, bone or tendon, besides the implant/plates themselves, with dramatic consequences in terms of postoperative infection and hardware contamination. METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted on a prospectively maintained database from January 2016 to February 2021...

Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) is a wound-dressing system that applies sub-atmospheric pressure on the surface of a wound to promote healing. An evolution of this technology, NPWT with solution instillation and dwell time (NPWTi-d), is increasingly being used to maximise wound closure and reduce failure rates. However, there is still a lack of evidence concerning its use in orthoplastic surgery. Therefore, the aim of this study is to compare NPWTi-d with NPWT and standard of care for wound management in orthoplastic surgery...

With the advent of the subspecialty of orthoplastic surgery, there has been a greater involvement of plastic surgeons in limb reconstruction, congenital anomalies, and salvage procedures. Understanding embryology helps plastic surgeons better understand how to reconstruct lower extremity congenital defects and how development of the lower limb affects what can be done to reconstruct the adult lower limb. There is significant discussion in the literature regarding embryology and development of craniofacial structures and the upper extremity; however, the development of the lower limb remains largely unexplored...

Prevention of Surgical Site Infections After Major Extremity Trauma Evidence-Based Clinical Practice Guideline is based on a systematic review of current scientific and clinical research. This clinical practice guideline (CPG) is designed to assist qualified physicians and clinicians when making treatment decisions for adults (18 years or older) who have sustained major extremity trauma. The CPG workgroup defined major extremity trauma as an open fracture, a major/high-energy closed fracture, a degloving injury, Morel-Lavallée lesions, a low-energy or high-energy gunshot injury, a crush injury, a blast injury, or any other moderate-energy to high-energy injury...

In patients with primary calcaneal malignancies, such as Ewing's sarcoma, radical treatment with amputation of the foot can result in serious functional impairment and chronic pain. Total calcanectomy followed by the reconstruction of the calcaneal defect offers an alternative treatment to amputation. Capanna et al. described a technique for successfully reconstructing long limb segmental bone defects using a free fibula flap placed within the intramedullary canal of an allograft. We present both a review of the literature on calcaneal reconstruction and describe how the principles of Capanna can be adapted to reconstruct the calcaneus...

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: Despite the increase in global research on open fractures, which continue to be a significant cause of morbidity and mortality, seriously affecting the health and quality of life of patients, there has not been any bibliometric research on this subject. The aim of this study was to make a holistic analysis of scientific articles published on the subject of open fractures using bibliometric methods. METHODS: Articles published on the subject of open fractures between 1980 and 2021 were downloaded from the Web of Science (WoS) database, and were analysed using various statistical methods...

BACKGROUND: The principle of early flap reconstruction for high-grade traumatic lower-extremity injuries established in 1986 by Godina has been widely accepted. However, the lack of an orthoplastic center in China makes early reconstruction not accessible for all patients with a Gustilo IIIB fracture. This study aimed to analyze the impact of timing on outcomes in lower-extremity traumatic free-flap reconstruction. METHODS: A retrospective review identified 394 free-flap reconstructions performed from January 2005 to January 2020 for Gustilo IIIB tibial fractures...