Acute invaginating docking for infected non-unions of the humerus.

Abstract

PURPOSE: To assess the efficacy of acute invaginating docking for infected non-unions of the humerus. METHODS: Eight men and 3 women aged 17 to 59 years with infected non-unions of the humerus underwent acute invaginating docking with shortening and Ilizarov fixation. RESULTS: The mean shortening was 2.9 cm owing to additional debridement. The mean time to external fixator removal was 14.9 (range, 8-28) weeks. The final bone result was excellent in 1, good in 8, and fair in 2. The functional result was excellent in 7 and good in 4. CONCLUSION: This modality enables simultaneous treatment of infected non-unions, axial alignment, vascularity, stability, and function.