Combined radius and ulna reconstruction with a free fibula transfer

Abstract

A 20-year-old man sustained a high energy injury to his right forearm resulting in comminuted open fractures of the forearm with 6 cm bone loss of the radius and 7 cm bone loss of the ulna. A bone segment was removed from the middle of a free fibula transfer to produce a single flap with two vascularised bone segments to reconstruct both the radius and ulna defects. Step osteotomies were stabilised with a single lag screw for each fracture line and, with a rigid external fixation device on the ulna, two vein grafts were used to anastomose the flap pedicle to the recipient vessels in the forearm. The postoperative period was uneventful. X-rays and scintigrams confirmed good healing of the fractures and normal perfusion of the flap so that the external fixation device could be removed 3 months after surgery. One year after the injury, the patient underwent a functional evaluation showing excellent results with very good preservation of rotation of the forearm.