Successful reimplantation of a large segment of femoral shaft in a type IIIA open femur fracture: a case report.

Abstract

Segmental bone loss associated with high-energy open fractures is a difficult problem. The more perplexing and controversial problem is that faced when the extruded segment of bone is retrieved from the field and available for potential reimplantation. Here we present successful reimplantation of a 13-cm segment of meta-diaphyseal femur in a 15-year-old boy. Successful reimplantation of the fragment was attributed to the anatomic location of the injury, meticulous wound care, multiple debridements, sterilization of the extruded fragment in chlorhexidine, and the patient's age.