Spontaneous healing of large femoral cortical bone defects: does genetic predisposition play a role?

Traumatic segmental femoral defects are commonly high velocity injuries and their reconstruction necessitates challenging surgical procedures. These injuries present commonly as open fractures and thorough wound debridement followed by adequate soft tissue cover is mandatory before skeletal reconstruction can be commenced. The definitive reconstructive procedure is therefore often delayed and the optimal treatment option is frequently determined by the extent of the cortical defect.