UNASSIGNED: Lower extremity salvage in the setting of severe trauma requires the consideration of multiple surgical specialties and treatment algorithms. We hypothesized that time to first ambulation, ambulation without an assistive device, chronic osteomyelitis, and delayed amputation were not affected by the time to soft tissue coverage in Gustilo IIIB and IIIC fractures at our institution.
UNASSIGNED: We evaluated all patients treated for open tibia fractures at our institution from 2007 to 2017. Patients requiring any form of soft tissue coverage to the lower extremity during their initial hospitalization and who had at least 30 days of follow-up from time of hospital discharge were included. Univariable and multivariable analysis was performed for all variables and outcomes of interest.
UNASSIGNED: Of 575 patients included, 89 required soft tissue coverage. On multivariable analysis, the time to soft tissue coverage, length of negative pressure wound therapy treatment, and number of wound washouts were not found to be associated with development of chronic osteomyelitis, decreased 90-day return to any ambulation, decreased 180-day return to ambulation without assistive device, or delayed amputation.
UNASSIGNED: Time to soft tissue coverage in open tibia fractures did not affect time to first ambulation, ambulation without an assistive device, chronic osteomyelitis, or delayed amputation in this cohort. It remains difficult to definitively prove that time to soft tissue coverage meaningfully impacts lower extremity outcomes.

BACKGROUND: The shoulder joint is one of the most freely movable joints in the human body and has therefore high importance for upper limb functionality. Several techniques have been developed to replace the glenohumeral joint including humeral hemiarthroplasty, anatomical total shoulder arthroplasty, and reverse total shoulder arthroplasty, depending on the underlying pathology. For the soft tissue reconstruction, the innervated latissimus dorsi musculocutaneous flap is a reliable solution flap in shoulder and arm reconstruction.
METHODS: We present the case of a 16-year-old male patient with a complete destruction of the shoulder joint and soft tissues after ballistic trauma. We performed the reconstruction of the shoulder joint using a humeral hemiarthroplasty with a mesh fixation to the remaining glenoid. The soft tissue coverage and the restoration of the deltoid muscle function were insured with a pedicled innervated latissimus dorsi musculocutaneous flap. One year postoperatively, the patient showed a good function of the shoulder joint with an excellent aesthetical result and no pain.
CONCLUSIONS: The pedicled latissimus dorsi musculocutaneous flap can safely restore the shoulder function, while the humeral hemiarthroplasty with mesh fixation can be a reliable solution for the reconstruction of a completely destructed shoulder joint.

OBJECTIVE: This systematic review evaluated the effectiveness of soft tissue augmentation procedures for complete coverage and mean coverage of buccal soft tissue dehiscence (BSTD) in patients with implant-supported restorations.
METHODS: Three databases were surveyed for randomized (RCTs), non-randomized controlled clinical trials (CCTs), cohort studies, case-control studies, and case series with a minimum of five patients per control or test group. Studies dealing with soft tissue augmentation procedures to cover BSTD-occurring during implant function and not due to the result of peri-implantitis-were included. Risk of bias was evaluated with RoB 2 or the National Institutes of Health\'s Quality Assessment. Whenever possible, exploratory meta-analyses were performed to evaluate weighted mean effects (WME) for the different outcomes. The primary outcomes were the percentage of complete coverage and mean coverage of BSTD.
RESULTS: Seven articles were included. Only one study was a RCT, with a high risk of bias. Meta-analyses showed that after 1 year (2 studies, n = 36 patients; WME = 70; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 50; 90; p = .23) as well as after 5 years (3 studies, n = 54 patients; WME = 70; 95%; CI = 60; 80; p = .44), complete coverage of BSTD could be achieved in 70% of the cases.
CONCLUSIONS: Based on limited evidence, it can be concluded that BSTD can be substantially reduced with the use of soft tissue augmentation procedures. Further research with comparative trials using larger samples and longer follow-up periods is needed to study the stability of soft tissues in the long term.

Just as in the craft of carpentry, a stable foundation and framework are absolutely essential to the final function of a building, but no more important than the drywall, trim, and paint that make the building functional, durable, and livable. Reconstruction of the lower extremity is similar; the orthopaedic surgeon must obtain stable fixation of the damaged or diseased bone once a thorough debridement of nonviable bone is performed, while the plastic or orthopaedic soft tissue surgeon must provide vascularized, stable coverage. These two components are complementary and both contribute to the success or failure of functional limb restoration. The stability of bone repair will predict the ultimate functional status, while the vascularized envelope will enhance the biology of bone and soft tissue healing. When both components are properly attended to, the result is often a functional limb with an acceptable appearance. While a single surgeon need not perform both of these tasks (although some may choose to do so), the orthopaedic and plastic surgeon involved in this care must have a clear understanding of each other\'s role and their importance for a good outcome. This is what we call the orthoplastic approach to reconstructive surgery of the extremities, that is, the application of principles and practice of both specialties applied simultaneously to optimize the outcomes in limb reconstruction. In this review article, we discuss the history of orthoplastic surgery, the key elements of orthoplastic surgery, and thoughts on factors that lead to good outcomes through select cases.