Role of Vacuum in Open Fracture Tibia Grade III Type B

- Evaluate the role of VAC in decreasing the time needed for soft tissue coverage and definitive fixation in open IIIB tibial fractures

Open fractures are injuries in which the skin and soft-tissue integument are disrupted and the underlying bone is exposed to the external environment. This communication results in contamination by microorganisms that can cause deep or superficial infection. Impaired vascularity, devitalized tissue, and loss of skeletal stability are all factors leading to increased susceptibility to infection after open fracture [1, 2]. Current protocols for treating open fractures include early administration of antibiotics, timely surgical debridement, skeletal stabilization, sterile dressing, systemic support, and establishment of soft-tissue coverage in a wound environment that is clean [3, 4-8]. VAC is being used to obviate the need for, or enhance the success of, free-flap coverage in open fractures that are significant enough to preclude primary closure, delayed primary closure, or healing by secondary intention. VAC device and its components, which in a closed system expose the open wound bed to negative pressure. This pressure removes edema or hemorrhage, mechanically pulls on the wound edges, decreases in wound surface area, improves circulation, and enhances proliferation of granulation tissue that filled the soft tissue defect, enhance debridement of wound debris, reducing the need for costly free-flap transfers. VAC devices have been used in many surgical disciplines but only recently have become popular in orthopedics [7, 9,].

Expose the open wound bed to negative pressure. This pressure removes edema or hemorrhage, mechanically pulls on the wound edges, decreases in wound surface area, improves circulation, and enhances proliferation of granulation tissue that filled the soft tissue defect.

- Evaluate the role of VAC in decreasing the time needed for soft tissue coverage and definitive fixation in open IIIB tibial fractures

Inclusion Criteria: - Gustilo Type III B open fractures of the tibia [10]. Skeletal mature patients. Exclusion Criteria: - Bone defect more than 5 cm Gustilo Type III B open fractures of the tibia. Medical commodities that make the patient unfit for surgery. (e.g. Liver Cell Failure, liver cirrhosis, renal failure )

Cherubino M, Valdatta L, Tos P, D'Arpa S, Troisi L, Igor P, Corradi F, Khan U. Role of Negative Pressure Therapy as Damage Control in Soft Tissue Reconstruction for Open Tibial Fractures. J Reconstr Microsurg. 2017 Oct;33(S 01):S08-S13. doi: 10.1055/s-0037-1606542. Epub 2017 Oct 6. Erratum In: J Reconstr Microsurg. 2017 Oct;33(S 01):e1.