Optimal location for fibular osteotomy to provide maximal compression to the tibia in the management of delayed union and hypertrophic non-union of the tibia.
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Authors
Lim, Anthony
Biosse-Duplan, Garance
Gregory, Alastair
Mahbubani, Krishnaa T
Riche, Fergus
Scott, John
Publication Date
2022-04Journal Title
Injury
ISSN
0020-1383
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Type
Article
This Version
AM
Metadata
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Lim, A., Biosse-Duplan, G., Gregory, A., Mahbubani, K. T., Riche, F., Brassett, C., & Scott, J. (2022). Optimal location for fibular osteotomy to provide maximal compression to the tibia in the management of delayed union and hypertrophic non-union of the tibia.. Injury https://doi.org/10.1016/j.injury.2022.02.009
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Tibial shaft fractures are the commonest long bone fracture, with early weight-bearing improving the rate of bony union. However, an intact fibula can act as a strut that splints the tibial segments and holds them apart. A fibular osteotomy, in which a 2.5 cm length of fibula is removed, has been used to treat delayed and hypertrophic non-union by increasing axial tibial loading. However, there is no consensus on the optimal site for the partial fibulectomy. METHODS: Nine leg specimens were obtained from formalin-embalmed cadavers. Transverse mid-shaft tibial fractures were created using an oscillating saw. A rig was designed to compress the legs with an adjustable axial load and measure the force within the fracture site in order to ascertain load transmission through the tibia over a range of weights. After 2.5cm-long fibulectomies were performed at one of three levels on each specimen, load transmission through the tibia was re-assessed. A beam structure model of the intact leg was designed to explain the findings. RESULTS: With an intact fibula, mean tibial loading at 34 kg was 15.52 ± 3.26 kg, increasing to 17.42 ± 4.13 kg after fibular osteotomy. This increase was only significant where the osteotomy was performed proximal to or at the level of the tibial fracture. Modelling midshaft tibial loading using the Euler-Bernoulli beam theory showed that 80.5% of the original force was transmitted through the tibia with an intact fibula, rising to 81.1% after a distal fibulectomy, and 100% with a proximal fibulectomy. CONCLUSION: This study describes a novel method of measuring axial tibial forces. We demonstrated that a fibular osteotomy increases axial tibial loading regardless of location, with the greatest increase after proximal fibular osteotomy. A contributing factor for this can be explained by a simple beam model. We therefore recommend a proximal fibular osteotomy when it is performed in the treatment of delayed and non-union of tibial midshaft fractures.
Embargo Lift Date
2023-02-28
Identifiers
External DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.injury.2022.02.009
This record's URL: https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/333879
Rights
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International
Licence URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
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