Efficacy comparison of vascularized iliac crest bone flap and Ilizarov bone transport in the treatment of traumatic bone defects of the tibia combined with large soft tissue defects.

Background: Traumatic tibial defect complicated with soft tissue defect is a difficult problem in clinic. Vascularized iliac crest bone flap (VIBF) and Ilizarov bone transport are effective methods to treat tibial defects with limited defect length, which most need to be explored accordingly.

Methods: In this study, a total of 68 patients with traumatic tibial defect (ranging from 4 to 10 cm) and large soft tissue defect were collected retrospectively.