The patient is a young man V.T.L (born in 2005), with a history of open fractures in the left leg and had undergone fixed surgery with an external frame.
After many treatments for osteoarthritis, when the condition was stable, the patient was admitted to the hospital on September 23, 2025 in the condition of: old scars with fiber, left outside fixed frames, tibia defect of about 8 cm, old fractures of the long bone marrow, left leg 2 cm shorter than the right leg but no signs of inflammation or infection.
After consultation, the patient was diagnosed with a late-astomached tibia defect due to fostulitis, and was prescribed surgery to remove the inflamed bone, re-open the fracture; at the same time, transfer the skin flap complex, free lo gravis from the opposite leg, connect the cosmetic blood vessels to the frontal artery of the left leg, and fix the bones with visceral tap.
The surgery lasted 5 hours, led by Dr. THan Van Hung - Deputy Head of the Department of burns and Appearance, Institute of Orthopedic Trauma, Military Hospital 175, with two teams operating in parallel: one team took the skin and marrow from healthy legs, and one team exposed and prepared blood vessels in the area receiving the tarpaulin in the damaged leg. After completion, the tarpaulin was transferred, connecting blood vessels under the microscope, and reconstructing the 8 cm defected tibia.
After 14 days, the post-operative results showed rosy skin, good blood circulation, straight bones with axes and legs of equal length, no complications. The patient recovered mobility and could live normally.
According to Dr. Than Van Hung, free skin fans in general and free labels in particular are top-notch techniques in plastic surgery, helping not only to compensate for defective bones and cover soft tissue but also increase blood irrigation in damaged areas, improve infection conditions, shorten recovery time, help patients return to activities and work soon.
Colonel, Dr. Phan Dinh Mung - Deputy Director of Military Hospital 175, Director of the Orthopedic Trauma Institute, said: Pedsorpose defect after osteoporosis is a complication that is very difficult to treat, which can leave serious sequelae such as short limbs, loss of mobility, and even amputation of limbs. If bone marrow inflammation is not thoroughly controlled, the disease can easily lead to sepsis and bone necrosis."
He emphasized that free fibula flap surgery is an advanced cosmetic technique that both regenerates bones, restores soft tissue and provides good blood supply, helping to thoroughly handle complex damage that traditional bone grafting methods are unlikely to achieve.
