title: MANAGEMENT OF A DISTAL FEMORAL NON-UNION WITH COEXISTING FAILURE OF THE KNEE EXTENSOR MECHANISM USING OSTEOBRIDGE KNEE-ARTHRODESIS SYSTEM--A CASE REPORT.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Reconstruction of bone defects is a long, challenging process both for the patient and for the treating surgeon. Bone defects frequently occur as a result of aggressive surgical debridement and bone resection in case of acute trauma, open fractures, chronic bone infections, tumors and non-unions. Early amputation is often superior to prolonged attempts at salvage because they can create serious problems in the patients' lives. There are numerous alternative methods of limb-salvage nowadays.
  
  
  METHODS
  We report a case of a fifty-year-old man with a distal femoral non-union and a co-existing failure of the knee extensor mechanism, who was treated using an intramedullary segmental defect bridging knee arthrodesis system (Osteobridge). At the final check-up twenty four months later, he had excellent clinical, functional and radiological results.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Osteobridge is an excellent knee arthrodesis system, which is preferable to other methods in case of resection of the distal femur along with the failure of the knee extensor mechanism.
authors.forename: Dimitrios
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Begkas
authors.forename: Alexandros
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pastroudis
authors.forename: Dimitrios Lambros
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Katsenis
authors.forename: Stamatios
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tsamados
mesh_terms: D001174:Arthrodesis; D005264:Femoral Fractures / Q000601:surgery*; D005599:Fractures, Ununited / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007719:Knee Joint; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged