Management of Neglected Femoral and Tibial Fractures with Gradual Reduction and Distraction Osteogenesis .

Neglected fractures refer to fractures that heal in a poor position due to inadequate timing for initial fixation. However, they cannot be classified as a malunion because they are not fully healed. Correcting neglected lower limb fracture deformities, whether through acute or gradual methods, requires detailed planning. Gradual correction of deformities and osteogenesis using circular frames can yield satisfactory outcomes. Patients and methods: This is a prospective analysis of collected data that was carried out at orthopedic surgery department, Benha University on the period from January 2023 to October 2 024 and included 22 patients with tibial and femoral neglected fractures. Results: The study involving patients with femur and tibia neglected fractures found a mean age of 38.05 years, with 20 (90.9%) males and 2 (9.1%) females. Smokers were present in 2 6.3% of patients. The majority had neglected tibial fractures in 77.3% of cases, while femoral fractures were present in22.7 % of cases. All cases included in the study were evaluated using RUST score for radiological healing. Mean Rust score was 10.63 wit h average from 4 to 12. All cases included in the study were evaluated using ASAMI score for clinical outcomes. Regarding bone results, all cases were excellent except one case was poor. Regarding functional results, all cases were excellent except three cases were good. Conclusion: Gradual reduction and distraction osteogenesis is a successful treatment option for neglected tibia and femur fractures, offering minimal invasiveness, postoperative alignment, and astable fixator for early functional weight .