Treatment options for infected bone defects in the lower extremities: free vascularized fibular graft or Ilizarov bone transport?

Table 1 Complications are categorized according to the method of El-Gammal et al. with slight modifications

Complications	Free vascularized fibular graft	IIizarov bone transport
Minor	Superficial infection,	Superficial infection,
	Bony malunion,	Bony malunion,
	Grades I and II pin tract reaction,	Grades I and II pin tract reaction,
	Temporary joint stiffness	Temporary joint stiffness,
		Mechanical line deviation during bone
		transport,
		Delayed union of bone contract ends
Moderate	Flap vascular crisis,	Grade III nail tract reaction,
	Grade III nail tract reaction,	Severe mechanical line deviation,
	Severe mechanical line deviation,	Bony nonunion,
	Bony nonunion,	Re-fracture,
	Re-fracture,	Osteomyelitis recurrence,
	Osteomyelitis recurrence	Malreduction at docking site
Major	Severe joint stiffness,	Severe joint stiffness,
	Limb shortening,	Limb shortening,
	Final mechanical line deviation	Final mechanical line deviation

Complications in each group were divided into minor, moderate, and major categories. Minor complications are the complications that require no operative treatment (e.g., pin tract infection). Moderate complications are the complications that require operative treatment (e.g., nonunion). Major complications are the residual complications that could not be corrected (e.g., residual shortening and joint contracture)

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