ABSTRACT
Reconstruction of large skeletal defects secondary to osteomyelitis remains a challenging
problem. Osteomyelitis can result from a variety of etiologies; most often, it is
a consequence of trauma to a long bone. Despite advances in antibiotic therapy, treatment
of chronic osteomyelitis requires adequate surgical debridement, which can often lead
to large soft tissue and bone loss. Free vascularized bone can be used to reconstruct
large skeletal defects greater than 6 cm or bone defects of smaller size that failed
to heal with nonvascularized bone grafting. The length, cortical strength, and anatomic
configuration of the free vascular fibular graft make it an ideal bone graft to bridge
extremity defects, and it can be transferred with skin, fascia, and muscle to fill
soft tissue defects in the recipient site.
KEYWORDS
Osteomyelitis - vascularized fibular graft - skeletal defects - osteocutaneous flaps
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Milan V StevanovicM.D.
Professor, University of Southern California, Los Angeles County Medical Center
Keck School of Medicine of USC, 2025 Zonal Avenue, GNH Room 3900, Los Angeles, CA
90033
eMail: stevanov@usc.edu
