Induced membrane technique in the treatment of infected tibial bone defect: A retrospective study

To investigate the effect of the induced membrane technique (IMT) in the treatment of infected tibial bone defect. IMT is a 2-stage procedure dedicated to reconstruction of bone defects of the limbs. Treating injuries of the tibia characterized by segmental bone loss, severe damage to the soft tissue, and a conjoining infection is a challenge using IMT. A retrospective study was performed among the patients treated using IMT for infected tibial bone defect between 2017 and 2020. The complications were recorded, and the bone defect union and the functional results were evaluated by Paley method. All patients were followed up for at least 1 year. We included 12 patients (11 males) with a mean age of 44.5 years (range 19-65). The mean length of bone defect was 26.7 mm (range 10-60). The mean interval between the stage 1 and the stage 2 of the procedure was 11.8 weeks (range 4-32). At a mean follow-up of 18.08 months (range 12-32), bone union was achieved in all cases in a mean time of 8 months (range 5-16) without infection recurrence, where 1 patient received additional bone grafting. The joint function recovered well for the patients and the rate of functionally excellent and good results was 9/12. IMT in the treatment of infected tibial bone defect offers the advantages of simple operation, use of a smaller amount of autograft bone, and low recurrence rate of infection.