Bioactive glass in the treatment of infected pseudoarthrosis of the distal tibia in a thirty five years old man. Case report

Abstract

Among the most serious complications of modern osteosyntheses are nonunion and infections. The pathology is challenging even for experienced surgeons, and the treatment often ends in failure. Bioactive glass represents an attractive alternative to conventional methods, as it combines a unique chemical formula (53% SiO2, 23% Na2O, 20% CaO and 4% P2O) that is osteoinductive and increases the local pH as well as the osmotic pressure, which leads to its antibacterial effect. Herein, we present a clinical case of a 35-year-old man with infected pseudarthrosis of the distal tibia treated with bioactive glass. The excellent clinical and radiological results at the 6-month follow-up and positive data from the literature lead us to be optimistic about the treatment of these severe conditions.

Keywords

• bioactive glass
• infected pseudoarthrosis
• surgical treatment