Treatment of limb chronic osteomyelitis with one-stage allograft

Objective:In order to avoid disadvantages of two-stage cancellus bone autograft,we investigated the feasibility of one-stage allograft for reconstructing bone defect from debridement of chronic osteomyelitis in limbs. Methods:Between Feb.1999 and Apr.2004,Thirty-five cases of chronic osteomyelitis(8 cases of nonunion) underwent one-stage allograft after debridement in our hospital.Results:Thirty-five cases were followed for an average period of 28 m(range from 13-55 m).Thirty-two cases(91.43%) recovered without infection,while infection was confirmed in 3 cases(8.57%).Four out of 8 cases of bone nonunion healed in 9.5 m on average(3-12 m), and another case of nonunion from infection recurrence 35 d after surgery also attained union after redebridement and autograft of ilium.Renonunion occurred in 3 cases,among which 2 healed after secondary operations adopting autograft.One case of renonunion and 2 cases of infection recurrence accepted no treatment.Conclusion: Infection control could be attained in the majority of patients when one-stage allograft after debridement was used to reconstruct bone defect in chronic osteomyelitis of the extremities.Renonunion,however,happened in a relative high rate,especially in cases with segmental bone defect.