Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37993906›Full record

ArticleJournal of orthopaedic surgery and research2023

Docking site complications analysis of Ilizarov bone transport technique in the treatment of tibial bone defects.

Dongwei Feng, Yaxin Zhang, Weize Wu, Heping Jia, Chuang Ma

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of orthopaedic surgery and research, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 21 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
21citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
4.1field-weighted citation impact, top 5% 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

21 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 19 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
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  3. [Advances on limb reconstruction technology for bone infection].Zhongguo xiu fu chong jian wai ke za zhi = Zhongguo xiufu chongjian waike zazhi = Chinese journal of reparative and reconstructive surgery · 2026
    Review
  4. Cumulative operative burden is associated with poorer function after segmental bone transport for lower-extremity long-bone defects.European journal of trauma and emergency surgery : official publication of the European Trauma Society · 2026
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  8. [Zeta-focal bone lengthening for bone defects after fracture-related infection: a two-case based research].Zhongguo xiu fu chong jian wai ke za zhi = Zhongguo xiufu chongjian waike zazhi = Chinese journal of reparative and reconstructive surgery · 2026
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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

5 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Dongwei Feng *Department of Pain, The First Affiliated Hospital of Hebei North University, Zhang Jiakou, Hebei, China.
Yaxin Zhang *International Medical Services, The First Affiliated Hospital of Hebei North University, Zhang Jiakou, Hebei, China.
Weize WuDepartment of Joint Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Hebei North University, Zhang Jiakou, Hebei, China.
Heping JiaDepartment of Pain, The First Affiliated Hospital of Hebei North University, Zhang Jiakou, Hebei, China. 13833308817@163.com.
Chuang MaDepartment of Orthopaedic, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, Xinjiang, China. 1516175919@qq.com.
Hebei North University · CNFirst Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University · CN

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundTreating long bone defects of the extremities caused by trauma, infection, tumours, and nonunion has been challenging for clinical orthopaedic surgeons. Bone transport techniques have the potential to treat bone defects. However, inevitable docking site complications related to bone transport techniques have been reported in many studies. The purpose of this study was to investigate the risk factors associated with docking site complications in patients who underwent the Ilizarov bone transport technique for the treatment of tibial bone defects.

methodsThis retrospective study included 103 patients who underwent bone transport for the treatment of large bone defects in the tibia from October 2012 to October 2019. Patient demographic data, complications and clinical outcomes after a minimum of 2 years of follow-up were collected and retrospectively analysed. Additionally, univariate analysis and logistic regression analysis were used to analyse the factors that may affect the development of docking site complications in patients with tibial bone defects treated with the Ilizarov bone transport technique. The clinical outcomes were evaluated using the Association for the Study and Application of the Ilizarov criteria (ASAMI) at the last clinical follow-up.

resultsAll 103 patients with an average follow-up of 27.5 months. The docking site complications rate per patient was 0.53, and delayed union occurred in 22 cases (21.4%), axial deviation occurred in 19 cases (18.4%) and soft tissue incarceration occurred in 10 cases (9.7%). According to the results of the logistic regression analysis, the bone defect length (P = 0.001, OR = 1.976), and bone defect of distal 1/3 (P = 0.01, OR = 1.976) were significantly correlated with delayed union. Bone defect length (P < 0.001, OR = 1.981) and external fixation time (P = 0.012, OR = 1.017) were significantly correlated with axial deviation. Soft tissue defects (P = 0.047, OR = 6.766) and the number of previous operations (P = 0.001, OR = 2.920) were significantly correlated with soft tissue incarceration. The ASAMI bone score at the last follow-up showed a rate of excellent and good bone results of 95.1% and a rate of excellent functional results of 90.3%.

conclusionThe Ilizarov bone transport technique is a practical and effective method for the treatment of tibial bone defects. However, the incidence of complications at the docking site is high, of which bone defect length, external fixation time, the number of previous operations, soft tissue defects and the bone defect of distal 1/3 are statistically significantly associated with the occurrence of docking site complications.

Indexed as

Ilizarov TechniqueTibial FracturesExternal FixatorsHumansRetrospective StudiesTibiaTreatment OutcomeBone transportComplicationDocking siteIlizarov techniqueTibia

Identifiers

PMID37993906
PMCPMC10666420
OpenAlexW4388902718

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.