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Background: Healing of tibia fractures occurs over a wide time range of months, with a number of risk factors contributing to prolonged healing. In this prospective, multicentre, observational study, we investigated the capability of FRACTING (tibia FRACTure prediction healING days) score, calculated soon after tibia fracture treatment, to predict healing time., Methods: The study included 363 patients. Information on patient health, fracture morphology, and surgical treatment adopted were combined to calculate the FRACTING score. Fractures were considered healed when the patient was able to fully weight-bear without pain., Results: 319 fractures (88%) healed within 12 months from treatment. Forty-four fractures healed after 12 months or underwent a second surgery. FRACTING score positively correlated with days to healing: r = 0.63 ( p < 0.0001). Average score value was 7.3 ± 2.5; ROC analysis showed strong reliability of the score in separating patients healing before versus after 6 months: AUC = 0.823., Conclusions: This study shows that the FRACTING score can be employed both to predict months needed for fracture healing and to identify immediately after treatment patients at risk of prolonged healing. In patients with high score values, new pharmacological and nonpharmacological treatments to enhance osteogenesis could be tested selectively, which may finally result in reduced disability time and health cost savings.

The Authors describe a case of chest wall hamartoma, very rare in infants and usually present at birth. This lesion, histologically, is benign. Surgical ablation is mandatory and curative, but the ablation of the tumor and the reconstruction of the large residual parietal defect are sometimes very difficult. In this case the surgical treatment was successful and the reconstruction of the thoracic cage was obtained with a particular surgical technique.

Tissue regeneration obtained by using a limb lengthening apparatus has been used by the authors in five cases for the repair of traumatic loss of bone and soft tissue from the lower limbs. The principles of "regenerated tissue" introduced by Ilizarov for the lengthening of limbs were modified and applied to traumatological needs. Very encouraging results have been obtained.

External fixation of pelvic fracture dislocations is appropriate when reduction must be accomplished by noninvasive methods which are nonetheless capable of precise regulation. The corrective frames described can be applied with minimal trauma and are capable of orientating the necessary corrective forces in the required directions to reduce the wide variety of bony displacements and dislocations encountered in these injuries. The apparatus is flexible and the choice of particular technique and assemblies is determined by evaluating the biomechanics of the mechanism of injury and applying the appropriate antagonist forces. These forces operate in three fundamental planes: anteroposterior, lateral and vertical. The author describes and illustrates how the assembly may be used to operate in these planes and reduce and stabilise a variety of displacements encountered in fractures and fracture dislocations of the pelvis.