A report is presented on 4 years of experience with free vascularized
bone transplants for extremity preservation and the postoperative mana
gement developed in this connection. The succesful results so far were
achieved not least by virtue of a strict unified postoperative treatm
ent scheme extending from direct postoperative blood-flow monitoring t
hrough the raising of a skin flap and angiographic control of anastomo
sis patency to immobilization/mobilization and orthotic management. Th
us far, 33 patients have been treated with free vascularized bone tran
splants (20 fibula, 13 iliac crest grafts).