• Arash Moghaddam, Severin Zietzschmann, Thomas Bruckner, and Gerhard Schmidmaier.
• HTRG - Heidelberg Trauma Research Group, Trauma and Reconstructive Surgery. Center for Orthopedics, Trauma Surgery and Spinal Cord Injury. Heidelberg University Hospital, Schlierbacher Landstraße 200a, D-69118 Heidelberg, Germany. Electronic address: arash.moghaddam@med.uni-heidelberg.de.
• Injury. 2015 Oct 1; 46 Suppl 4: S39-50.

BackgroundThe successful treatment of atrophic tibia non-unions and tibia non-unions with large bone defects or infections is a major challenge in orthopedic and trauma surgery. This article evaluates the use of the 'diamond concept' using a one-step or two-step procedure according to 'Masquelet technique' in the treatment of atrophic tibia non-unions.MethodsBetween February 2010 and March 2014, 102 patients with atrophic non-unions were treated according to the 'diamond concept' in our center. Ninety-nine were available for follow-up. Forty-nine received a one-step treatment (Group 1, G1) and 50 patients received a two-step treatment according to the 'Masquelet technique' (Group 2, G2). Clinical and radiological parameters were measured preoperatively as well as 4, 6, and 12 weeks and 6 and 12 months postoperatively. In order to evaluate the subjective health of patients, we used the SF-12 questionnaire. Data analysis was performed one year after treatment.ResultsThe rate of consolidation in G1 was 84% and 80% in G2. The time to heal in G2 was 8.6 ± 2.9 months, which is significantly longer than in G1 being 6.9 ± 3.1 months. In comparison patients in G1/G2 had an average of 3.2/6.7 previous major surgeries. In G1, 4 of 8 patients who did not heal successfully showed positive intraoperative cultures. In G2, 26 patients (52%) initially presented with positive cultures. The results of the SF-12 questionnaire improved in both groups during the postoperative follow-up, but showed no significant differences between groups. In 29 patients a gentamycin-coated nail was used for reosteosynthesis. These patients showed by trend a lower rate of complications at a higher rate of consolidation.ConclusionsOur study showed that the 'diamond concept' is a suitable method for safely and effectively treating non-unions with large defects or infections. The use of an antibiotic-coated nail provides a therapeutic benefit. For large bone defects of infected non-unions the two-step procedure after Masquelet is an efficient way to eradicate the infection and treat the bone defect successfully.Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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