Trauma: Nonunion and Malunion
Problems with bone healing, alignment, or infection can occur after bone trauma. Nonunion is when the bone does not heal properly leaving the limb with pain and instability. When a fracture heals in a deformed position or with shortening of the limb, this is called a malunion. In children, the growth plate can sustain damage that results in limb deformity and shortening. Bone loss after infection and trauma can lead to a limb threatening situation. In all these cases, surgeons in the Limb Lengthening and Complex Reconstruction Service (LLCRS) can restore your limb alignment, length, and stability and get you back to full activity.
Before and after
Before and after
Before and after
Patient Cases, Stories & Educational Media
- Case 1: Distraction of a Tibial Non-Union
- Case 9: Bone Transport in Femur for a 10 cm Defect
- Case 26: Lengthening and Deformity Correction of a Femur Malunion Using an EBI Monolateral Frame
- Case 34: Limb Salvage with Bone Transport for Tibia Bone Defect
- Case 37: Bone Transport for Infected Tibial Nonunion with Large Bone Defect
- Case 47: Bone Transport for Infected Tibial Nonunion/Bone Defect
- Case 67: Tibia Lengthening with LATN Technique
- Case 84: Update on Bone Defects Treated with Bone Transport
- Geiger, Erik J. MD, Geffner, Adam D. BS, Rozbruch, S. Robert MD, Fragomen, Austin T. MD. Management of Segmental Tibia Bone Defects with the Magnetic Motorized Intramedullary Transport Nail: A Case Series. Journal of Orthopaedic Trauma ():10.1097/BOT.0000000000002574, January 26, 2023. | DOI: 10.1097/BOT.0000000000002574
- Fragomen AT, Wellman D, Rozbruch SR. The PRECICE magnetic IM compression nail for long bone nonunions: a preliminary report. Arch Orthop Trauma Surg. 2019 Nov;139(11):1551-1560. DOI: 10.1007/s00402-019-03225-4. Epub 2019 Jun 19.
- Grand Rounds from HSS: Management of Complex Cases, Winter 2010, Volume 1, Issue 1
- Repair of Tibial Nonunions and Bone Defects with the Taylor Spatial Frame, published in Journal of Orthopaedic Trauma, February 2008.
- Simultaneous Treatment of Tibial Bone and Soft-tissue Defects With the Ilizarov Method, published in Journal of Orthopaedic Trauma, March 2006 (pdf)
- Nonunions and Malunions by S. Robert Rozbruch, MD and Kevin Pugh, MD published in Orthopaedic Knowledge Update Trauma v.3, 2005.
