Aseptic forearm nonunions treated by plate and opposite fibular autograft strut.

Abstract

Forearm nonunion frequently changes the relationship between the radius and ulna and may lead to impairment of forearm function. We propose a new surgical technique for aseptic forearm nonunions combining a fibular cortical autograft strut with a metal plate and a fibular intercalary autograft in cases with a segmental bone defect. We retrospectively reviewed 20 patients with a mean age of 31 years (range, 17-48 years) at the time of surgery. Minimum followup was 12 years (mean, 14 years; range, 12-21 years). There were no intraoperative or postoperative complications. At last followup, all forearm bones had remodeled. The mean visual analog pain scale was 1 (range, 0-3). Forearm function improved; there were no radiographic signs of ankle arthritis at followup. Surgical treatment of aseptic forearm nonunions by combining a massive fibular cortical autograft strut with a plate and associating a fibular intercalary autograft in case of a segmental bone defect led to bone healing, improved forearm function, and a durable outcome with long-term followup. Level IV, therapeutic study. See the Guidelines for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.