International Journal of Research in Orthopaedics | May-June 2024 | Vol 10 | Issue 3 Page 514 International Journal of Research in Orthopaedics Hossain MZ et al. Int J Res Orthop. 2024 May;10(3):514-519 http://www.ijoro.org Original Research Article Complications of Ilizarov method treatment for infected nonunion femoral shaft fracture M. Zakir Hossain 1 *, Manash Chandra Sarker 1 , M. Jahangir Alam 2 , Naima Ferdousi 4 , M. Abdul Gani Mollah 1 , Nazmul Huda Setu 1 , Raquib Mohammad Manzur 1 , Devolina Bhowmik 3 INTRODUCTION Infected nonunion of the femur is not uncommon in clinical practice, but the treatment of this disease has been a challenge for orthopedic surgeons. 1,2 Some related factors usually complicate the infected non-union including bone loss, deformities, limb-length inequalities, and polybacterial infection. 3 Ilizarov's methods can eliminate infection, recompense for bone defects, and ABSTRACT Background: Infected non-union of the femur is complicated by the involvement of soft tissue and bone, long-term resistant multi-bacterial infection, limb length discrepancy, deformities, joint stiffness, and multiple draining sinuses, and poses a challenge for orthopedic surgeons. This study aimed to analyze the complications of Ilizarov method treatment for infected non-union femoral shaft fracture. Methods: This prospective observational study was conducted at the national institute of traumatology and orthopedic rehabilitation (NITOR), Dhaka, Bangladesh, from May 2018 to August 2020. A total of 20 patients were selected as study subjects by purposive sampling technique. All data were collected using a pre-formed questionnaire. Data were processed and analyzed using computer software program SPSS version 22.0. Result: The mean bone gap created during the operation was 2.7±1.7 cm of them, in 12 (60%) patients, it was 0 to 2 cm, and in 8 (40%) patients it was more than 2 cm. The mean time needed for radiological union was 7.85±2.1 months ranging from 5 months to 11 months. In 10 (50%) patients, union was achieved within 4 to 7 months, and in 10 (50%) patients it was 8 to 11 months. Regarding limb length discrepancy, in 5 (25%) cases there was no limb length discrepancy (LLD). Twelve patients had 1 cm to 2.4 cm LLD and 3 (15%) patients had ≥2.5 cm LLD. The mean LLD was 1.2±0.9 cm. Regarding complications, in 10 (50%) cases, there was no complication and 10 (50%) patients had complications. The complications were pin tract infection in 7 (35%) patients and wire loosening in 3 (15%) patients. Conclusions: The study concludes that while the Ilizarov ring fixator proves to be a dependable and successful method for stabilizing, correcting length discrepancies, and eliminating infections, it is not without its share of complications. The findings of this research indicate a 50% complication rate among the patients undergoing this treatment. Keywords: Femur, Ilizarov method, Infected, Non-union, Limb length discrepancy 1 Department of Orthopaedic, National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedic Rehabilitation (NITOR), Dhaka, Bangladesh 2 Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedic Rehabilitation (NITOR), Dhaka, Bangladesh 3 Department of Microbiology, National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedic Rehabilitation (NITOR), Dhaka, Bangladesh Received: 05 February 2024 Revised: 07 March 2024 Accepted: 20 March 2024 *Correspondence: Dr. M. Zakir Hossain, E-mail: zakirnitor2@gmail.com Copyright: © the author(s), publisher and licensee Medip Academy. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License, which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.18203/issn.2455-4510.IntJResOrthop20241101