Historically, amputation was the go-to treatment for segmental long bone abnormalities because they were challenging to manage. Long bone fractures that do not heal and cause bone loss are a difficult medical condition that needs intensive care. Severe and lasting negative effects on quality of life might result from segmental bone abnormalities after trauma. Compared to the bony outcome, the functional outcome of reconstruction is typically less satisfactory. It is possible to use distraction osteogenesis or the induced membrane approach. This study aims to determine if bone transport or the induced membrane approach is more effective in treating long bone abnormalities in the lower leg and to compare these 2 methods’ clinical, radiological, and functional outcomes. About 24 patients (22 males and 2 females) with lower extremity fractures and bone defects larger than 3 cm were analyzed for this study. Around 12 patients (group A) had repairs using the bone transport technique, while the remaining 12 patients (group B) underwent surgery using the masquelet. Patient group A had a mean age of 44, while group B had a mean age of 38. Follow-up was conducted consistently, with the mean follow-up duration in groups A and B being 18.35 ± 5.58 months, respectively. Union occurred in 67% of cases in Group A (bone transport), 25% of cases in the bone graft group, and 8% of cases in the delayed union group. About 75% of the individuals in group B (masquelet) exhibited union, while 25% exhibited delayed union. The success rate for bone translocation was 58.3%, whereas the success rate for the Masquelet approach was 50%. Defects in the long bones involving a significant loss of bone volume are among the most difficult for an orthopedic surgeon to treat in clinical practice. Bone transfer and the induced membrane approach are both viable solutions for repairing faults in bone. Both methods have advantages and disadvantages and offer different ways to improve. Although the induced membrane technique necessitated soft tissue repair surgeries, this data shows that it is statistically equivalent to the other way.
Source: journals.lww.com/jfmpc/Fulltext/2022/07000/A_comparative_study_between_bone_transport.43.aspx
