Type III open tibia fractures in low-resources setting. Part 3: achievement of bone union and treatment of segmental bone defects.

Abstract

After presentations of the principles of limb salvage and soft-tissue coverage for Gustilo III open tibia fractures, this third part is dedicated to management of tibial non-unions in low-resource settings. Inter-tibiofibular grafting and the induced membrane technique are preferred because they make it possible to deal with almost all situations. Key technical points of these methods are presented, followed by treatment guidelines based on Catagni's classification and bone defect size.