Analysis of the Effect of Antibiotic Bone Cement in the Treatment of Diabetic Foot Ulcer through Tibia Transverse Transport

Abstract

Objective: To explore the efficacy of antibiotic bone cement (ABC) combined with the modified tibial transverse transport (mTTT) on the treatment of severe diabetic foot with infection. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted of 243 patients with TEXAS grade 3/4 stage D diabetic foot ulcers from December 2016 to December 2019. A total of 115 patients treated with mTTT were classified as the mTTT group (78 male and 37 female, mean age: 70.4 ± 6 years) and 128 patients who were treated with ABC combined with mTTT were in the ABC + mTTT group (89 male and 39 female, mean age: 68.9 ± 8 years). Follow-up records during treatment and 6 months after surgery were collected, including the time required for white blood cells (WBC) and C-reactive protein (CRP) to return to normal range, wound healing time, pain visual analog scale (VAS), ankle-brachial index (ABI), foot skin temperature, transcutaneous oxygen pressure measurement (TcPO2), complications, and other indicators. Normally distributed data were compared using the independent sample t-test, non-normally distributed data were analyzed by one-way ANOVA analysis of variance. Results: There were 128 cases in the ABC + mTTT group (89 male and 39 female, mean age: 68.9 ± 8 years) treated with ABC and mTTT, and 115 cases in the TTT group (78 male and 37 female, mean age: 70.4 ± 6 years) treated with mTTT alone. The time required for WBC and CRP to return to the normal range and wound healing time in the ABC + mTTT group were significantly shorter than those in the mTTT group (12.9 ± 4.6 vs. 22.6 ± 1.6 days, t = 3.979, p < 0.001; 25.3 ± 1.3 vs. 31.3 ± 2.3 days, t = 4.261, p = 0.001; 11.9 ± 3.8 vs. 15.9 ± 3.9 days, t = 4.539, p < 0.001). There were no significant intergroup differences in the foot skin temperature, VAS score, ABI, and TcPO2 (t = 0.349, 0.542, 0.765, 0.693 while all p > 0.05). Conclusion: Although the application of ABC with mTTT for treatment of diabetic foot ulcers did not affect the wound healing time and ankle blood supply in the mid-term, it could control ulcer infection faster and accelerate wound healing.