DYNAMIC AXIAL EXTERNAL FIXATION IN THE SURGICAL-TREATMENT OF TIBIA VARA

Osteotomy is the well-established treatment of Blount's disease (tibia vara), although the types of fixation used vary considerably. The use of dynamic axial external fixation to stabilize osteotomies for tibia vara until solid union occurs without the use of supplemental casting has not been reported by other authors. From 1985 until the present, we have used osteotomy with dynamic axial external fixation as treatme nt of 31 tibiae in 23 patients. All osteotomies healed and there was n o postoperative loss of correction. There was an average correction of 20 degrees between the pre- and postoperative mechanical axis. Advant ages of dynamic axial external fixation include ease of application, a djustability, early weight bearing, the ability to lengthen the extrem ity, and no second operation for removal of hardware. Based on our res ults, we believe that dynamic axial external fixation is an excellent form of osteotomy stabilization in the surgical treatment of tibia var a.