Muscle transposition for treatment of osteomyelitis of the tibia

A series of 24 consecutive patients with osteomyelitis of the tibia and soft tissue defects were treated according to the principle of radical excision of the infected bone together with transposition of muscle flaps and primary skin cover as a one-stage procedure. External fixation was used for stabilization of bone. The mean duration of osteomyelitis before radical operation was 72 weeks and the previous stay in hospital averaged 15 weeks. Twenty-one patients had previously undergone 3.7 operations because of the infection. Staphylococcus aureus was cultured in 50% of the patients, while no bacteria could be identified in six patients. Appropriate antibiotics were given for an average of eight weeks. In four patients a secondary bone transplant and in three patients another skin transplant was necessary. One patient refusing further reconstructive surgery insisted on an above-knee amputation because of persisting infection. After an average observation time of 2 1/2 years no infection or instability of the tibia could be demonstrated, but one patient showed two small skin defects. These results indicate that radical excision of infected bone in combination with muscle transposition and primary skin cover is effective in the treatment of posttraumatic osteomyelitis of the tibia.