• Terumasa Boku, Kazuhiko Yokoyama, Koushin Nakamura, Masataka Uchino, Takashi Suzuki, Hiroshi Ohtsuka, and Moritoshi Itoman.
• Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, School of Medicine, Kitasato University, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan.
• Microsurgery. 2005 Jan 1;25(7):532-7.

AbstractEight patients with type IIIB open tibial fractures requiring free tissue transfers were retrospectively reviewed. The functional outcome was evaluated by using a scoring system developed by Puno et al. (Microsurgery 17:167-173, 1996). Short Form 36 (SF-36) was used as a measurement of individuals' quality-of-life (QOL) scores. The average total score of all cases was 77.6. An excellent or good functional outcome was achieved in 37.5% (3/8). Six patients were evaluated by SF-36. The average physical health summary (T-PH) score was 47.9, the average mental health summary (T-MH) score was 53.5, and the average total general health summary (T-GH) score was 50.7. The mean T-MH score was significantly higher than the mean T-PH score (P < 0.05). Treated cases showed an acceptable QOL, considering the results of the T-GH. The mental QOL was higher than the physical QOL. In severe open tibial fractures, it is difficult to obtain a good or excellent functional outcome, even with reconstruction using free tissue transfers.(c) 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

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