Introduction: Posttraumatic deformities in the lower limb are mainly multidirectional, with angulation, translation, and rotatory deformities. Acute corrections with internal fixation are often not possible due to the soft tissue damage and the extent of the deformity. The Taylor Spatial Frame (TSF) allows correction in a virtual hinge with 6 axes, thus enabling the correction of multidirectional deformities simultaneously.
Methods: From February 2003 until December 2006, we applied 31 TSFs to 20 patients with a posttraumatic deformity of the tibia and hindfoot. The mean patient age was 41 years (range 12-73). 9 patients had a nonunion of the tibia with deformity, 6 had a malunion of the lower tibia and ankle, 3 had an angular deformity after ankle fusion, and 2 had malaligned Ilizarov bone segment transports. The mean follow-up time was 25.3 months (range 10-82).
Results: In all 20 patients, full correction of the deformity was achieved. The mean time for correction was 29 days (range 5-82). On average, the frame was worn (time to healing) 164.2 days (80-300) and the mean distraction rate was 1.1 mm/day (0.5-2.0). The Web-based planning was done two times per case for full deformity correction. Complications were 3 pin-site infections, 2 insufficient callus formations and 1 pinhole stress fracture.
Conclusions: The main advantage of the TSF compared with other external frames is the ability to perform simultaneous correction of angular, axial, translational, and rotatory deformities. This enables a reduced correction time and increased patient comfort.