Background: Major bone defects in forearm caused by severe trauma is a real challenge for orthopedic surgeons. This study aimed to evaluate the role of one-bone forearm (OBF) reconstruction combined with distal radioulnar joint fusion (DRUJF) as a rescue option under this difficult situation.
Methods: In total, 18 patients with major bone defects in forearm caused by severe trauma were selected from 2003 to 2017 and followed up for 2 to 16 years. All patients were managed in the Emergency Department and received emergency one-stage OBF combined with DRUJF. In addition, patient demographics, surgical techniques, clinical outcomes and complications were collected from the medical records.
Results: The mean age of patients was 41.5 years (ranging from 23 to 58 years), with 11 males and 7 females. The mean time to union was 5.8 months; 17 patients had complete union, and 1 patient had infection with nonunion requiring secondary procedures. According to the criteria of Chen, 3 patients had a grade-I functional outcome, 14 patients had a grade-II functional outcome, and 1 patient had a grade-III functional outcome. Based on the Peterson scoring system, the outcome was excellent for 3 patients, good for 13 patients, fair for 1 patient, and poor for 1 patient.
Conclusion: OBF reconstruction combined with DRUJF was an alternative surgical procedure as the emergency stage-one intervention for the treatment of traumatic major bone defects in forearm, which may be more functionally and cosmetically superior than forearm amputation.
Keywords: Distal radioulnar joint; Major bone defect; One-bone forearm reconstruction.
Copyright © 2020. Published by Elsevier Ltd.