title: Treatment for 332 cases of lower leg fracture in "5.12" Wenchuan earthquake.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To retrospectively analyze the medical treatment of 332 patients with lower leg fracture in Wenchuan earthquake admitted in West China Hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  From May 12, 2008 to June 15, 2008, 332 patients with lower leg fracture injured in Wenchuan earthquake were treated in our hospital. The data on trauma condition and clinical treatment were collected and analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among the 332 cases of lower leg fracture, there were 179 cases of open fracture, accounting for 53.9%, in which 91% belonged to Gustilo II or III injury with serious pollution. Many patients had posttraumatic complications, vascular and nerve injury, wound infection or osteofascial compartment syndrome. After medical treatment, blood vessels were reconnected, wound surface was repaired and wound infection was under control.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  For the patients with lower leg fracture in earthquake, we followed the principle of "complete debridement - restoring the continuity of bone bracket-timely recovering blood supply of limbs and repairing nerve damage - repair the wound surface at stage I or II " so as to reduce the incidence of amputation and infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Fu-xing
authors.initials: FX
authors.lastname: Pei
authors.forename: Chong-qi
authors.initials: CQ
authors.lastname: Tu
authors.forename: Yue-ming
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Fu-guo
authors.initials: FG
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Tian-fu
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Guang-lin
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yue
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Gang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zhong
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002681:China; D003161:Compartment Syndromes / Q000209:etiology; D055866:Earthquakes; D005260:Female; D017102:Fracture Healing; D050723:Fractures, Bone / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007866:Leg / Q000098:blood supply / Q000294:innervation; D007869:Leg Injuries / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies