The use of solid form-fitting antibiotic cement spacers in bone loss of the lower extremity

The induced membrane technique for the management of long bone defects

AIMS

The purpose of this study was to: review the efficacy of the induced membrane technique (IMT), also known as the Masquelet technique; and investigate the relationship between patient factors and technique variations on the outcomes of the IMT.

METHODS

A systematic search was performed in CINAHL, The Cochrane Library, Embase, Ovid MEDLINE, and PubMed. We included articles from 1 January 1980 to 30 September 2019. Studies with a minimum sample size of five cases, where the IMT was performed primarily in adult patients (≥ 18 years old), in a long bone were included. Multivariate regression models were performed on patient-level data to determine variables associated with nonunion, postoperative infection, and the need for additional procedures.

RESULTS

A total of 48 studies were included, with 1,386 cases treated with the IMT. Patients had a mean age of 40.7 years (4 to 88), and the mean defect size was 5.9 cm (0.5 to 26). In total, 82.3% of cases achieved union after the index second stage procedure. The mean time to union was 6.6 months (1.4 to 58.7) after the second stage. Our multivariate analysis of 450 individual patients showed that the odds of developing a nonunion were significantly increased in those with preoperative infection. Patients with tibial defects, and those with larger defects, were at significantly higher odds of developing a postoperative infection. Our analysis also demonstrated a trend towards the inclusion of antibiotics in the cement spacer having a protective effect against the need for additional procedures.

CONCLUSION

The IMT is an effective management strategy for complex segmental bone defects. Standardized reporting of individual patient data or larger prospective trials is required to determine the optimal implementation of this technique. This is the most comprehensive review of the IMT, and the first to compile individual patient data and use regression models to determine predictors of outcomes. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2020;102-B(12):1723-1734.

Bone transport through an induced membrane in the management of tibial bone defects resulting from chronic osteomyelitis

Wide resection of infected bone improves the odds of achieving remission of infection in patients with chronic osteomyelitis. Aggressive debridement is followed by the creation of large bone defects. The use of antibiotic-impregnated PMMA spacers, as a customized dead space management tool, has grown in popularity. In addition to certain biological advantages, the spacer offers a therapeutic benefit by serving as a vehicle for delivery of local adjuvant antibiotics. In this study, we investigate the efficacy of physician-directed antibiotic-impregnated PMMA spacers in achieving remission of chronic tibial osteomyelitis. This retrospective case series involves eight patients with chronic osteomyelitis of the tibial diaphysis managed with bone transport through an induced membrane using circular external fixation. All patients were treated according to a standardized treatment protocol. A review of the anatomical nature of the disease, the physiological status of the host and the outcome of treatment in terms of remission of infection, time to union and the complications that occurred was carried out. Seven patients, with a mean bone defect of 7 cm (range 5-8 cm), were included in the study. At a mean follow-up of 28 months (range 18-45 months), clinical eradication of osteomyelitis was achieved in all patients without the need for further reoperation. The mean total external fixation time was 77 weeks (range 52-104 weeks), which equated to a mean external fixation index of 81 days/cm (range 45-107). Failure of the skeletal reconstruction occurred in one patient who was not prepared to continue with further reconstructive surgery and requested amputation. Four major and four minor complications occurred. The temporary insertion of antibiotic-impregnated PMMA appears to be a useful dead space management technique in the treatment of post-infective tibial bone defects. Although the technique does not appear to offer an advantage in terms of the external fixation index, it may serve as a useful adjunct in order to achieve resolution of infection.