Elevation and distraction of the Tibial periosteum in the management of chronic ischemic lower limb diseases.

Objective: This study investigates the effectiveness of tibia periosteum distraction (TPD) applied to the tibial periosteum, an innovative approach grounded in Ilizarov's tension-stress theory, for the treatment of ischemic diabetic foot and vasculitic foot conditions.

Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 33 patients (36 limbs) who underwent TPD between June 2019 and May 2022. The study comprised 21 males (23 limbs) and 12 females (13 limbs), aged 41 to 80 years (mean age: 63.4 years). Diabetic foot accounted for 27 cases, thromboangiitis obliterans for 2 cases, and arterial occlusive disease for 4 cases. The distribution of affected limbs included 15 left feet and 21 right feet. Periosteum traction commenced on the third postoperative day at a rate of approximately 0.75 mm/day, adjusted biweekly. The traction device was removed after two weeks. Evaluation included capillary refill and wound healing assessment, along with pre- and postoperative analysis of foot skin temperature, ankle-brachial index (ABI), visual analogue scale (VAS) pain scores, and peripheral blood oxygen saturation. CT angiography (CTA) was utilized to assess vascular conditions in both lower limbs.

Results: All 33 patients were successfully followed up for a duration ranging from 4 to 24 weeks (mean: 11.03 weeks). VAS pain scores significantly decreased from preoperative (5.09 ± 1.70, range: 2-8) to postoperative two weeks (2.24 ± 0.90, range: 1-4) (t = 9.44, p < .001). Oxygen saturation levels increased from 83.88% ± 11.82% (range: 58%-97%) preoperatively to 91.36% ± 5.69% (range: 76%-98%) at two weeks postoperatively (t = -4.21, p < .001). Foot skin temperature also showed a significant increase (t = -3.98, p < .001). Capillary refill test at two weeks postoperatively demonstrated notable improvement. CTA revealed evident neovascularization in the operated limbs compared to preoperative conditions. Wound improvement was significant in all 33 patients within two months postoperatively.

Conclusion: TPD emerges as a promising technique for chronic ischemic lower limb diseases, demonstrating favorable preliminary outcomes in wound healing promotion and amputation rate reduction. Nevertheless, large-scale randomized controlled trials are essential to further validate its efficacy.