The role of muscle flaps in treatment of chronic osteomyelitis

Abstract EN

The objective of this study is to find a successful techinque to control the infectious process chronic osteomyelitis.

In the period between August 1998 and Dec.

2000, (18) patients with chronic osteomyelitis were managed in Al-Sadder teaching hospital (in Najaf).

They were (16) male, and (2) female.

The average age was (35.5) years (range 11-47 years).

The osteomyelitic process was posttraumatic (complication of fracture and its treatment) in (15)., a complication of elective surgery in (1), and the result of hematogenous seeding in (2) patients, all the patients were treated by aggressive debridement with application of local regional or crossleg muscle flaps and specific antimicrobial therapy.

The average follow up was (18) months (range 6-28 months).

The total number of the patients were (18), (16)of them (88 %) had complete eradication of the infection, the other (2) had non-union and they require further additional surgical treatment, this study proves the efficacy of aggressive debridement and muscle flap coverage in treatment of difficult cases of chronic osteomyelitis.