Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32734449›Full record

ArticleArchives of orthopaedic and trauma surgery2021

Functional outcome and complications after treatment of comminuted tibial fractures or deformities using Ilizarov bone transport: a single-center study at 15- to 30-year follow-up.

Carlo Biz, Alberto Crimì, Ilaria Fantoni, Marco Vigo, Claudio Iacobellis, Pietro Ruggieri

Open access · hybridAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Archives of orthopaedic and trauma surgery, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 32 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
32citing papers in PubMed, 3 pooled it
4.7field-weighted citation impact, top 4% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

32 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 45 citations in OpenAlex.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Carlo BizDepartment of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology DiSCOG, Orthopaedic, Traumatological and Oncological Clinic, University of Padua, via Giustiniani 2, 35128, Padua, Italy. carlo.biz@unipd.it.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8517-0057
Alberto CrimìDepartment of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology DiSCOG, Orthopaedic, Traumatological and Oncological Clinic, University of Padua, via Giustiniani 2, 35128, Padua, Italy.
Ilaria FantoniDepartment of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology DiSCOG, Orthopaedic, Traumatological and Oncological Clinic, University of Padua, via Giustiniani 2, 35128, Padua, Italy.
Marco VigoDepartment of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology DiSCOG, Orthopaedic, Traumatological and Oncological Clinic, University of Padua, via Giustiniani 2, 35128, Padua, Italy.
Claudio IacobellisDepartment of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology DiSCOG, Orthopaedic, Traumatological and Oncological Clinic, University of Padua, via Giustiniani 2, 35128, Padua, Italy.
Pietro RuggieriDepartment of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology DiSCOG, Orthopaedic, Traumatological and Oncological Clinic, University of Padua, via Giustiniani 2, 35128, Padua, Italy.
University of Padua · IT

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionThe aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate long-term outcomes and complications of a single-center and single-surgeon patient series of isolated and comminuted tibial fractures with bone defects or tibial deformities treated by Ilizarov bone transport. MATERIALS AND

methodsData from a consecutive series of patients with isolated comminuted tibial fractures (Fracture Group: FG) or deformities (Deformity Group: DG) treated between 1987 and 2002 were included. For clinical assessment, the Lower Extremities Functional Scale was used; complications were recorded according to the Dindo classification and statistical analysis was performed.

resultsOverall, 72 patients were enrolled with a mean follow-up of 21.6 years (range 15-30) a mean LEFS of 36.4 (range 0-100). In the FG, the mean LEFS was 21.3 (range 0-98.75), and the external fixation time (EFT) lasted 7.6 months (range 3-18 months) months. In the DG, the mean LEFS was 76.7 (range 55-100), and the EFT was 10.6 months (range 3-20 months). Between the two groups, the clinical evaluation was significantly different, while the EFT was not (p = 0.14). In the FG, the worst results were obtained in the cases of open fractures with a higher percentage of complications and the need for further surgical procedures. The cumulative rate of complications was 55.6% during the first 36 months and 66.7% at the minimum follow-up of 180 months.

conclusionsIlizarov bone transport, even at a long follow-up period, proved to be an effective technique for both definitive treatment of comminuted tibial fractures with bone defects or tibial deformities. Although our functional outcomes were lower in patients with exposed fractures, they were in line with the literature, but not influenced by the EFT when properly managed. Most complications occurred during the first 3 years; however, they could also arise much later, even until almost 30 years.

Indexed as

Ilizarov TechniqueTibial FracturesExternal FixatorsFollow-Up StudiesHumansRetrospective StudiesTreatment OutcomeBone transport IlizarovDistraction osteogenesisExternal fixationTibial deformityTibial fracture

Identifiers

PMID32734449
PMCPMC8497293
OpenAlexW3045980372

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.