Reconstruction of the humerus by soft tissue distraction and vascularized fibula transfer

We report a case of reconstruction of the humeral shaft by soft tissue lengthening according to the method of Ilizarov, followed by skeletal reconstruction with a vascularized fibular graft. Skeletal union and initiation of functional activity were achieved within 4 months. Lengthening of the soft tissue and the vascular tree by slow distraction did not compromise the subsequent reconstructive microsurgical procedure.