• The Journal of the Korean bone and joint tumor society
• /
• v.10 no.2
• /
• pp.96-106
• /
• 2004

Purpose: To determine the usefulness of limb salvage operation with recycled autogenous bone graft in musculoskeletal malignant tumors. Materials and Methods: Twenty nine cases, who underwent limb salvage operation with recycled autogenous bone graft for the treatment of musculoskeletal malignant tumor between February 1990 and January 2003, were included. There were 18 males and 11 females and the mean age was 33 years (range, 10 to 65 years). The mean follow-up period was 51.8 months (range, 18 to 117 months). The Enneking stage was IIA in 10 cases and IIB in 19 cases. The recycling method of autogenous bone was deep freezing in 6 cases, autoclaving in 11 cases, pasteurization in 7 cases and the composite of autoclaving and vascularized fibular graft in 5 cases. The union of junctional site was evaluated radiologically and the functional results was analyzed by the grading systems of the International Symposium On Limb Salvages (ISOLS). Results: The mean union time was 7.2 months (range, 3 to 15 months). The union took 5.8 months (range, 4 to 8 months) in deep freezing, 9.7 months (range, 6 to 15 months) in autoclaving, 5.9 months (range, 4 to 8 months) in pasteurization, and 5 months (range, 4 to 8 months) in the composite of autoclaving and vascularized fibular graft. The mean functional evaluation percentage was 76.8% (range, 40 to 90%). It was 65.8% (range, 40 to 85%) in deep freezing, 76.6% (range, 40 to 90%) in autoclaving, 81.6% (range, 70 to 90%) in pasteurization, and 83.4% (range, 75 to 90%) in the composite of autoclaving and vascularized fibular graft. There were 6 cases of complications including 1 case of local recurrence, lung metastasis, infection, fracture, respectively and 2 cases of nonunion. Conclusion: The limb salvage operation with recycled autogenous bone graft is a useful treatment method for the musculoskeletal malignant tumors. Particularly, autoclaving is the most reliable sterilization method. The vascularized fibular graft can compensate decreased osteoinductivity and mechanical strength of recycled bone. So, the composite of autoclaving and vascularized bone graft seems to be a favorable treatment method for high grade malignant musculoskeletal tumors.

• Archives of Reconstructive Microsurgery
• /
• v.2 no.1
• /
• pp.20-28
• /
• 1993

From 1981 to 1991, twenty one vascularized bone grafts had been performed for the treatment of large bone defects of the extremities, with average follow-up of 65.4 months. Fibulae were used in 15 patients Including two cases of osteocutaneous flap, iliums in 5 including two of osteocutaneous flap, and osteocutneous rib in one. Ten of these patients were treated for segmental defects derived from trauma or infection sequelae of long bones, while eight for locally aggressive benign or malignant bone tumors ; and three for congenital pseudarthrosis of tibia. The location of the lesions were 8 cases in tibia; 7 in humerus ; 3 in forearm bone ; 2 in foot ; and 1 in femur. The length of bone defects were averaged as 10 cm, ranging from 3 to 17.5. In eighteen patients(85.7%), the operation was successful. The duration from operation to bony union was average 5.1 months on successful cases, and three of them needed additional procedures, such as bone graft and electrical stimulation to promote bony union. Local recurrence was found in one case of chondrosarcoma, resulting in AK amputation. Wound infections were noted each one case on donor or recipient site. In five cases, the fracture of grafted bone, which united with cast immobilization in four, occurred average 16.7 months after operation.

• The Journal of the Korean bone and joint tumor society
• /
• v.1 no.2
• /
• pp.145-153
• /
• 1995

Giant cell tumor is most frequently found in juxtaarticular region, and difficult to treat because of local recurrence. Although primary resections reduce recurrence, the joint function will be markedly impaired. Techniques involving physical adjuncts(high speed burr and electric cauterization), acrylic cement or en bloc resection with VFG(vascularized fibular graft) have been employed to reduce local recurrence. From October 1984 to April 1994, twenty-nine patients diagnosed as giant cell tumor were treated at department of Orthopaedic Surgery, School of Medicine, Kyung Hee University. There were eleven men and 18 women, ranging in age from 17 to 52 years(mean: 34 years). The average follow-up period was four years and five months. The location of the lesion was around the knee in 15, distal radius in three, femoral head in three, and others in eight patients. Fifteen patients around the knee joint were treated with several modalities; curettage with bone graft in five, curettage with cement filling in three, curettage with bone graft and physical adjuncts in five, en bloc resection with VFG in one and en bloc resection with arthroplasty in one patient. The functional results, according to the Marshall's knee score, were excellent in one, good in two, and fair in two after the curettage with bone graft, good in three after the curettage with bone cement filling, excellent in one, good in four after the curettage with bone graft and physical adjuncts, and good in two after the en bloc resection with VFG or arthroplasty. Three patients had local recurrence among 15 patients with giant cell tumor around knee. Vascularized fibular graft around wrist joint provided good functional restoration without local recurrence in all three patients who had giant cell tumor in distal radius. Although there is no statistical significance, it seems that curettage with bone graft using physical adjuncts or acrylic cement reveals better results than simple curettage with bone graft. Excellent functional result were obtained without local recurrence by using vascularized fibular graft after en bloc resection.

• Archives of Reconstructive Microsurgery
• /
• v.10 no.1
• /
• pp.18-22
• /
• 2001

Purpose : The purpose of this study was to evaluate stress fracture of vascularized fibular grafts(VFG) by analyzing factors associated with stress fracture and the treatment results. Materials and Methods : From June 1985 to May 1998, 7 patients with stress fractures in the 38 patients with long bone defect who had vascularized fibular graft were evaluated with clinical and radiologic methods including grafted fibular length and hypertrophic index of de Boer. The average age of the patients was 35 years(range, $14{\sim}60$ years). The mean follow-up period was 20 months(range, $16{\sim}32$ months). Results: 7(18.4%) stress fractures occurred in 38 patients. Characteristics of the fractures were (1) all occurred at lower extremity of male patients treated with VFG for long bone defected caused by infected nonunion; (2) all occurred 10 months at the average(range, $4{\sim}17$ months) after VFG; and (3) the length and hypertrophic index of grafted fibula had no influence on the incidence of stress fracture. Union was obtained in 3 patients by conservative treatment. 4 patients obtained union by internal fixation; one at immediately onset of fracture; and three after failure of conservative treatment who had fracture around the knee joint. Conclusion : Stress fracture may occur during the first one year after vascularized fibular graft and more attention must be paid for prevention of it, especially in the cases of infected nonunion. Stress fracture around the knee joint was expected to lead to a good result of early union by operative treatment.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
• /
• v.26 no.5
• /
• pp.533-539
• /
• 2000

Recent development of dental implantology has taken an interest in the bone graft procedure. This is a review of literature, published from 1994 to November 1999. This study is provided by MEDLINE search. In this study, 718 patients received 829 graft with placing 2,677 endosseous implants. In mandible, nonvascularized or vascularized block bone grafts provided better results(success rate 95.2%) than particulate grafts(83.6%). But in maxilla, particulate grafts provided better results(93.7%, 86.2%) and more cases especially in sinus elevation. There were many cases using autogenous bone graft and revealed good results, but allogenic or alloplastic bone graft materials also were used by many surgeons.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
• /
• v.48 no.1
• /
• pp.84-90
• /
• 2021

Vascularized bone grafts (VBGs) are widely employed to reconstruct upper extremity bone defects. Conventional bone grafting is generally used to treat defects smaller than 5-6 cm, when tissue vascularization is adequate and there is no infection risk. Vascularized fibular grafts (VFGs) are mainly used in the humerus, radius or ulna in cases of persistent non-union where traditional bone grafting has failed or for bone defects larger than 6 cm. Furthermore, VFGs are considered to be the standard treatment for large bone defects located in the radius, ulna and humerus and enable the reconstruction of soft-tissue loss, as VFGs can be harvested as osteocutaneous flaps. VBGs enable one-stage surgical reconstruction and are highly infection-resistant because of their autonomous vascularization. A vascularized medial femoral condyle (VFMC) free flap can be used to treat small defects and non-unions in the upper extremity. Relative contraindications to these procedures are diabetes, immunosuppression, chronic infections, alcohol, tobacco, drug abuse and obesity. The aim of our study was to illustrate the use of VFGs to treat large post-traumatic bone defects and osteomyelitis located in the upper extremity. Moreover, the use of VFMC autografts is presented.

• Archives of Reconstructive Microsurgery
• /
• v.1 no.1
• /
• pp.31-38
• /
• 1992

The management of giant cell tumor involving juxta-articular portion has always been a difficult problem. In certain some giant cell tumors with bony destruction, a wide segmental resection may be needed for preventing to recur. But a main problem is preserving of bony continuity in bony defect as well as preservation of joint function. The traditional bone grafts have high incidence in recurrence rate, delayed union, bony resorption, stress fracture despite long immobilization and stiffness of adjuscent joint. We have attemped to overcome these problems by using a microvascular technique to transfer the fibula with peroneal vascular pedicle as a living bone graft. From Apr. 1984 to Nov. 1990, we performed the reconstruction of wide bone defect after segmental resection of giant cell tumor in 4 cases, using Vascularized Fibular Graft, which occur at the distal radius in 3 cases and at the proximal tibia in 1 case. An average follow-up was 2 years 8 months, average bone defect after wide segmental resection of lesion was 11.4cm. These all cases revealed good bony union in average 6.5months, and we got the wide range of motion of adjacent joint without recurrence and serious complications.

• Archives of Reconstructive Microsurgery
• /
• v.16 no.2
• /
• pp.100-107
• /
• 2007

Treatment of giant cell tumor of distal radius can be treated in several ways according to the aggressiveness of the tumor. But the management of giant cell tumor involving juxta-articular portion has always been a difficult problem. In some giant cell tumors with bony destruction, a wide segmental resection may be needed for preventing to recur. But a main problem is preserving of bony continuity in bony defect as well as preservation of joint function. We have attempted to overcome these problems by using a microvascular technique to transfer the fibula with peroneal vascular pedicle or anterior tibial vessel as living bone graft. From April 1984 to July 2005, we performed the reconstruction of wide bone defect after segmental resection of giant cell tumor in 14 cases, using Vascularized Fibular Graft, which occur at the distal radius. VFG with peroneal vascular pedicle was in 8 cases and anterior tibial vessel was 6 cases. Recipient artery was radial artery in all cases. Method of connection was end to end anastomosis in 11 cases, and end to side in 3 cases. An average follow-up was 6 years 6 months, average bone defect after wide segmental resection of lesion was 6.8 cm. All cases revealed good bony union in average 6.5 months, and we got the wide range of motion of wrist joint without recurrence and serious complications. Grafted bone was all alive. In functional analysis, there was good in 7 cases, fair in 4 cases and bad in 1 case. Pain was decreased in all cases but there was nearly normal joint in only 4 cases. Vascularized fibular graft around wrist joint provided good functional restoration without local recurrence.

• Archives of Reconstructive Microsurgery
• /
• v.2 no.1
• /
• pp.29-41
• /
• 1993

Recent advances in microsurgery have made it possible to provide a continued circulation of blood to the grafted bone so as to ensure viability. With the nutrient blood supply preserved, healing of the graft to the recipient bone is facilitated without the usual replacement of the graft by creeping substitution. We reviewed 34 cases of vascularized osteocutaneous fibular transfers to the infected tibial defect complicated with skin defect, which were performed from May, 1982 to January, 1992, and the following results were obtained: 1. Despite of uncontrolled bone infection with skin defect, the vascularized osteocutaneous fibular flap transfer could be performed. 2. In the vascularized osteocutaneous fibula transfer, the patency of anastomoses could be indirectly monitored by observing the color of the skin flap. 3. The vascularized fibula had been hypertrophied with bony union during the follow-up period of 13 months to 6 years and 4 months(average, 30 months) and there was no resorption of the grafted fibula. 4. There was no fracture of the grafted fibula in parti resection of involved tibia. 5. The hypertrophic potentiality of grafted fibula could be inhibited by the infection status as operation site.

• Archives of Reconstructive Microsurgery
• /
• v.14 no.1
• /
• pp.42-49
• /
• 2005

Between June 1989 and may 2004 Ipsilateral vascularized fibular transposition was performed on nine patients with segmental tibial defects combined with infection following trauma. Ipsilateral vascularized fibular graft was performed on two or three stage according to the degree of infection. Initially free vascular pedicled graft was done followed by ipsilateral vascularized fibular graft. Type of free flap used is scapular free flap 3 cases, latissimus dorsi free flap 5 cases and dorsalis pedis flap 1 cases. The patients were followed for an average of 3.4 years. the average time to union was 6.7 months, and in all patients the graft healed in spite of complication. Complication was free flap venous thrombosis in 1 cases, persistent infection in 1 cases, delayed bony union at the distal end of fibular graft in 2 cases. The results showed that more faster bony union was seen in which cases firmly internally fixated and more faster hypertrophy of graft in which cases was permitted to ambulate on early weight bearing and more faster healing in which cases debrided more meticulously. Reconstruction of tibia defect with free flap followed by Ipsilateral fibular transposition is a useful and safe method to avoid the potential risk of infection for patients with tibial large bone defect and soft tissue defect associated with infection.