Plate-Assisted Bone Segment Transport Versus Precice Bone Transport Nail

Management of segmental long bone defects is a complex and challenging undertaking for orthopaedic surgeons. These defects can be encountered in cases of high-energy trauma, tumor resection, or infection, and they are often associated with significant soft tissue injury. Traditional approaches of bone transport rely on external fixation and principles of distraction osteogenesis. Plate-assisted bone segment transport (PABST) using the Precice limb lengthening nail has been adapted for use in bone transport with the use of a plate in an effort to eliminate the need for external fixation and its associated complications. Recently, the arrival of the Precice Bone Transport (PBT) System intramedullary nail eliminates the need for plating and some of the problems encountered in PABST; however, it also introduces some new issues. PABST and the PBT nail have become viable alternatives to bone transport using a frame; however, each has its own unique set of advantages and disadvantages. Although the problems of using external fixation devices are eliminated with these techniques, there is less forgiveness in execution and very little chance of correcting as the transport is underway. The arrival of the PBT nail does not eliminate the need for PABST as seen by the difficulty maintaining alignment in short metaphyseal segments. This review reflects the current state of these methods based on available evidence; however, optimization of the protocol for transport using PABST and the PBT nail will require additional cases and data.