BACKGROUND: Salvage of large, @entity79 in @entity2091 poses a formidable problem. The present prospective study aimed to evaluate radiologic and functional outcome of ring fixator in infected, large (>= 6  cm) bone defects of @entity2091 treated with distraction osteogenesis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study included 35 @entity1 (30 males and 5 females) who had minimum of 6  cm gap after radical resection of necrotic bone and presence or history of active @entity281 . Mean age was 36.1 years. Mean bone gap was 7.27  cm. Mean follow-up period was 25.4 months. RESULTS: @entity174 united primarily in 17 cases and after fixator adjustment with freshening of @entity174 margins in 15 cases. Fixator adjustment with bone grafting was done in one @entity1 to achieve union. One @entity1 had nonunion and another had amputation. The bone result was excellent, good, and poor in 19, 13, and 3 @entity1 , respectively. The functional results were excellent, good, fair and failure in 14, 19, 1, and one @entity1 , respectively. 24 @entity1 had superficial pin tract @entity281 and 18 @entity1 had ankle stiffness. CONCLUSION: Ring fixator systems reliably achieve union in infected, large bone defects of @entity2091 and help in treating @entity281 , shortening, bone and soft tissue loss simultaneously. We advocate early freshening of @entity174 ends and removal of interposed soft tissue at docking sites to achieve union. Superficial pin tract @entity281 and ankle stiffness are common problems in managing large tibial defects. But good to excellent functional outcomes can be achieved in majority of @entity1 .

Outcome of distraction osteogenesis by ring fixator in infected, large bone defects of XXXX .

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['patients', 'patient'] @entity174 :: ('MESH:D050723', 'Disease') :: ['Fracture', 'fracture'] @entity2091 :: ('MESH:C535563', 'Disease') :: ['tibia'] @entity79 :: ('MESH:D001847', 'Disease') :: ['infected bone defects'] @entity281 :: ('MESH:D007239', 'Disease') :: ['infection']
@entity2091 :: (MESH:C535563,Disease) :: ['tibia']
