Reconstruction of the loss of bone substance of the forearm by cubitalization of the radius (one bone forearm). Apropos of 6 cases

• Published in: Annales de chirurgie de la main et du membre supérieur Vol. 15; no. 4; pp. 199 - 211
• Main Authors: Bessy, H, Leemrijse, T, Cadot, B, Touam, C, Oberlin, C
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: French
• Published: France 1996
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Bone Transplantation - methods; Compartment Syndromes - surgery; Elbow Joint - surgery; Female; Forearm - surgery; Forearm Injuries - surgery; Histiocytoma, Benign Fibrous - surgery; Humans; Humerus - surgery; Male; Middle Aged; Osteomyelitis - surgery; Radial Artery - surgery; Radius - surgery; Skin Transplantation - methods; Soft Tissue Neoplasms - surgery; Surgical Flaps - methods; Ulna - surgery; Ulna Fractures - surgery; Wrist Joint - surgery
• ISSN: 1153-2424

Extensive forearm bone loss, whatever its etiology, presents a difficult reconstruction problem. This is mainly the case in the presence of lesions of the interosseous membrane associated with the radio-ulnar joint. When preservation of forearm rotation is not possible, cubitalization of the radius and reconstruction of the forearm by creation of a "one bone forearm" seems to be an excellent salvage technique both functionally and cosmetically. Our experience concerns six clinical cases; two of these cases are original and give the authors the opportunity to describe a new reconstructive technique of the distal humerus and elbow by vascularized transfer of the radius onto the radial artery (with a cutaneo-osseous transfer in one case). The etiology of the bone defect included severe trauma in three cases, and a Volkman's syndrome complicated by osteomyelitis in one case. Two cases represent an original technique of reconstruction of the distal humerus by a vascularised transfer of the radius onto the radial artery. Forearm reconstruction is performed by cubitalization of the radius. The etiology was traumatic in one case and neoplastic in another, and a cutaneo-osseous transfer was performed in the latter case. In this difficult problem of bone reconstruction, a favorable functional and cosmetic result was obtained in our series.