Defect Fracture of the Distal Fibula with Soft Tissue Damage (Gustilo IIIB) in an Adolescent

Abstract

Open fractures of the lower limb are often combined with soft tissue defects and require a musculocutaneous flap in addition to bony reconstruction. We report the treatment and progress of a third-degree open fracture of the lower limb with a defect of the distal fibula and a Salter III fracture of the medial malleolus in a 15-year-old patient. The defect was reconstructed with a rib-latissimus dorsi flap and stabilized with a new type of internal fixator (PointContact Fixator®, Synthes Ltd).