Efficacy of microsurgical free-tissue transfer in chronic osteomyelitis of the leg and foot: Review of 22 cases

The efficacy of free composite tissue transfer for the treatment of chronic osteomyelitis of the leg and foot was evaluated in a retrospective study. Twenty-two patients, operated on at the American University of Beirut between January, 1992 and December, 1996, were identified. Infection involved the heel (8), ankle (1), foot (5), and tibia (8). All patients had multiple debridement and prolonged antibiotic treatment prior to presentation. The mean duration of disease was 4.8 years (range: 1 to 25 years). There were Rye cases of infected tibial non-union and one case of an infected tibial bone defect measuring 15 cm. Following radical debridement, microvascular free-tissue transfer was immediately performed. One latissimus dorsi and 13 rectus abdominis muscle flaps, as well as eight radial forearm fasciocutaneous flaps were used. At a mean follow-up of 3.8 years, there was one rectus abdominis free-flap failure in a Gustilo IIIC tibial fracture, which necessitated secondary amputation; there was no evidence of recurrence of osteomyelitis in the remaining 21 patients during the study period. The patients with tibial nonunion and bone defect healed following resection and bone transport utilizing a callus distraction technique. The results show that free-tissue transfer is a safe and viable treatment option in chronic osteomyelitis of the leg and foot. A brief discussion of the history of microvascular free-tissue transfers, as well as their value in modern reconstructive surgery, is also presented.