Acute limb shortening or creation of an intentional deformity to aid in soft tissue closure for IIIB/IIIC open tibia fractures.

Background: Ring fixator techniques can precisely correct complex long bone deformities. In select patients, controlled shortening or intentional fracture deformation with delayed correction can also aid in complex wound coverage and limb salvage.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study analyzed all patients who underwent acute limb shortening or intentional temporary fracture deformation between 2005 and 2020.