title: [Treatment of postoperative nonunion of fracture of lower limb with bone grafting by intervertebral disc endoscope].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the effectiveness of bone grafting by intervertebral disc endoscope for postoperative nonunion of fracture of lower limb.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between August 2004 and August 2008, 40 patients (23 males and 17 females) with postoperative nonunion of femoral and tibial fracture, aged 20-63 years (mean, 41.5 years) were treated. Nonunion of fracture occurred at 10-16 months after internal fixation. During the first operation, the internal fixation included interlocking intramedullary nailing of femoral fracture in 12 cases and plate in 16 cases, and interlocking intramedullary nailing of tibial fractures in 9 cases and plate in 3 cases. The X-ray films showed hypertrophic nonunion in 24 cases, common nonunion in 3 cases, and atrophic nonunion in 13 cases.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The average operation time was 61 minutes (range, 40-80 minutes), and the blood loss was 80-130 mL (mean, 100 mL). The hospitalization time were 6-11 days (mean, 8.1 days). Incisions healed by first intention in all patients with no complication of infection or neurovascular injury. Forty patients were followed up 10-16 months (mean, 12.3 months). The X-ray films showed that all patients achieved healing of fracture after 4-10 months (mean, 6.8 months). No pain, disfunction, or internal fixation failure occurred.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Bone grafting by intervertebral disc endoscope is an effective method for treating postoperative nonunion of femoral and tibial fracture.
authors.affiliation: No 1 Department of Orthopaedics, the Affiliated Hospital of Yan'an University, Yan'an Shaanxi, 716000, PR China. zjl1939@163.com
authors.forename: Jianlin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Yu'e
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.forename: Fangmin
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Han
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016025:Bone Transplantation; D019723:Endoscopes; D005260:Female; D005264:Femoral Fractures / Q000601:surgery*; D005593:Fracture Fixation, Internal / Q000379:methods; D005599:Fractures, Ununited / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007403:Intervertebral Disc / Q000601:surgery*; D035002:Lower Extremity; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult