Efficacy of Chinese and Western Medical Techniques in Treating Diabetic Foot Ulcers With Necrotizing Fasciitis of the Lower Leg

To analyze and evaluate the clinical efficacy of Chinese and Western medical techniques in the treatment of severe diabetic foot ulcers complicated with necrotizing fasciitis of the lower leg and summarize the treatment experience of such patients to identify a new method of limb salvage treatment. A total of 46 patients with severe diabetic foot ulcers and necrotizing fasciitis of the lower leg were treated with such techniques as surgical debridement, bone drilling, open joint fusion, and microskin implantation. Wounds were treated with moisture-exposed burn therapy (a regenerative medical treatment for burns, wounds, and ulcers) and moisture-exposed burn ointment (a traditional Chinese medicine); underlying diseases were also treated effectively. The wound healing time, rate of high amputation, and mortality of these patients were summarized, and the clinical efficacy of such treatments was evaluated. Of the 46 patients enrolled, 38 patients were cured, with a cure rate of 82.61%. The average wound healing time was 130 ± 74.37 days. Two patients underwent high amputations, with an amputation rate of 4.35%, and 4 deaths occurred, with a mortality rate of 8.70%. The combination of Chinese and Western medical techniques in the treatment of severe diabetic foot ulcers complicated with necrotizing fasciitis of the lower leg not only effectively saved patients' lives and promoted wound healing but also greatly reduced the rates of high amputation and disability.

Stump lengthening procedure with modular endoprostheses - the better alternative to disarticulations of the hip joint?

We report outcomes of 28 patients after stump-lengthening procedures (SLPs) with modular tumor endoprostheses following high-thigh amputation and hip disarticulation over 11years. Mean follow up was 41.3months (range 7.4 to 133.6months). Mean Musculoskeletal Tumour Society Score was 56% (n=11); ten out of eleven patients alive used an exoprosthesis regularly. Complications occurred in 15 patients with infection being most common. In 2 cases, the prostheses had to be explanted. Our data suggest that SLP facilitates post-operative rehabilitation and prosthesis usage. Modular endoprostheses for stump-lengthening allow optimization of remnant soft-tissue envelope, reducing the risk of stump perforation.