Bone transport with magnetic intramedullary nails in long bone defects

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic surgery
• Biomedical engineering
• Traumatology

Background:

• Segmental bone defects in the femur present significant reconstructive challenges.
• Traumatic injuries often lead to diaphyseal bone loss requiring advanced treatment modalities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the outcomes of internal bone transport using magnetic nails for traumatic femoral bone defects.
• To assess the efficacy and complications associated with this technique.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of five patients with open femoral fractures and diaphyseal bone loss (mean defect 8.7 cm) were treated.
• Plate-assisted bone segment transport (PABST) utilizing PRECICE magnetic nails was employed.

Main Results:

• All five patients achieved full bone consolidation with a mean consolidation time of 7.5 months (0.8 mo/cm).
• Complications included reduced knee range of motion, mild varus deformity, and plate bending.
• Patient-reported outcome measures (SF-36, Oxford Knee, EQ-5D-5L) showed no statistically significant difference from UK population norms.

Conclusions:

• Internal bone transport with magnetic nails can yield good functional recovery for long bone defects.
• Standardized reporting is recommended to improve comparability across studies on bone transport outcomes.