The purpose of this paper is to present an alternative method of achieving a synostosis between tibia and fibula in trans-tibial amputations by means of a fibular segment in place of tibial osteoperiosteal flaps as described by Ertl, in 1949.
From May 1997 through to February 2003, 15 patients were submitted to the proposed procedure. As a result, all patients produced a solid synostosis between tibia and fibula and were rehabilitated with the use of prostheses.
The capacity of these patients for distal weight-bearing on the stump was remarkable when compared to patients submitted to the conventional trans-tibial amputation technique.
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