Vascularized fibular grafts in the treatment of congenital pseudarthrosis of the tibia

J Bone Joint Surg Am. 1990 Jun;72(5):654-62.

Abstract

Free vascularized fibular bone grafts were used in nineteen children, seen consecutively, who had congenital pseudarthrosis of the tibia. The average age was 5.1 years (range, 1.4 to 11.4 years). Sixteen of the patients had been treated with electrical stimulation for at least one year, and the tibia had not united. All but four patients had had at least one previous operative procedure. At an average follow-up of 6.3 years (range, 2.0 to 11.0 years), eighteen (95 per cent) of the nineteen pseudarthroses had healed. The leg-length discrepancy averaged 1.6 centimeters (range, 0 to 4.0 centimeters), but ten tibiae had residual or progressive valgus or anteroposterior malalignment despite bracing. There was minimum morbidity at the donor site.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Bone Transplantation / methods
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Female
  • Fibula / blood supply
  • Fibula / diagnostic imaging
  • Fibula / transplantation*
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Male
  • Postoperative Complications
  • Pseudarthrosis / congenital
  • Pseudarthrosis / diagnostic imaging
  • Pseudarthrosis / surgery*
  • Radiography
  • Tibia / diagnostic imaging
  • Tibia / surgery*