Orthoplastic management of severe open fractures: case report
Abstract
Open leg fractures are frequent injuries; the infection and difficulty in bone healing are their main complications.
The orthoplastic approach involves carrying out principles and practices of both specialties together, avoiding
separate treatment of the problems that arise from these serious injuries and thus minimizing complications. The objective of the article is to convey the importance of the orthoplastic approach in open fractures. We report the case of an adult patient, with an open fractured leg, to required multiple surgical procedures to preserve the limb.
Various strategies were necessary to cure the bone infection and reconstruct the soft tissue and bone. The limb function restore was possible promoting the ankle and foot mobility from the beginning and it allowed weightbearing on the limb through stable bone fixation, at 6 weeks of evolution.
We evidenced a patient and family satisfied with an excellent functional result according to the ASAMI score, at 24 moths of clinical and radiographic follow-up.
It is concluding that in patients with severe open fractures, the orthoplastic approach is key to obtain better
results.
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