{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,29]],"date-time":"2026-10-29T14:23:57Z","timestamp":1793283837899,"version":"4.5.0"},"reference-count":47,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"19","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,9,25]],"date-time":"2024-09-25T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1727222400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Transilvania University of Brasov"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["JCM"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: Compound fractures of the distal tibia (with or without the middle third) represent a challenge for orthopedic and plastic surgeons because of the scarcity of available soft tissue reconstruction and the important comminution of the fractures that usually appear. Methods: The design of this study is based on the PRISMA guidelines. Databases were searched for articles published and available until the first half of 2023. Articles that presented the evolution of patients treated by combining circular external fixators with reconstructive methods were selected. Results: After searching the literature using keywords, we obtained 3355 articles, out of which 14 articles met all the inclusion criteria, with a total number of participants of 283. The bone loss varied between 0.7 and 18.2 cm, while the soft tissue defect was between 3\/3 cm and 16\/21 cm. The average period of fixation ranged from 4 to 22.74 months. The most used reconstruction methods were 80 free flaps and 73 pedicled flaps out of 249 interventions. Complete flap loss appeared only in 3\/283 patients. Regarding the bone union, the percentage of non-union was low, and in all cases, it was achieved after reintervention. A low rate of major complications was observed. Conclusions: The orthoplastic team is the key to successfully treating the high-energy traumatism of the distal tibia (with or without a middle third). The Ilizarov external fixator can be used as a definitive limb-salvage treatment (secondary to the standard primary methods of fixation) in combination with a flap to cover the defects because it does not damage the pedicle, and it helps stabilize the soft tissues and bones around the flap to lower the complications.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/jcm13195700","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,9,25]],"date-time":"2024-09-25T17:12:04Z","timestamp":1727284324000},"page":"5700","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Orthoplastic Reconstruction of Distal Tibia High-Energy Fractures Using a Circular External Fixator\u2014A Systematic Review"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"13","author":[{"given":"Radu-Dan","family":"Necula","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, \u201cTransilvania\u201d University, 500036 Brasov, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Simona","family":"Grigorescu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, \u201cTransilvania\u201d University, 500036 Brasov, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Bogdan-Radu","family":"Necula","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, \u201cTransilvania\u201d University, 500036 Brasov, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,9,25]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"34","DOI":"10.1016\/j.fas.2016.11.002","article-title":"Population-based epidemiology of 9767 ankle fractures","volume":"24","author":"Elsoe","year":"2018","journal-title":"Foot Ankle Surg."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e042","DOI":"10.1097\/OI9.0000000000000042","article-title":"Open ankle fractures are associated with complications and reoperations","volume":"2","author":"Simske","year":"2019","journal-title":"OTA Int."},{"key":"ref_3","first-page":"66","article-title":"Distal tibia metaphyseal fractures: Which is better, intra-medullary nailing or minimally invasive plate osteosynthesis?","volume":"24","author":"Kawalkar","year":"2018","journal-title":"J. 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