Tibial hemimelia and femoral bifurcation

Abstract

Femoral bifurcation and tibial agenesis are rare anomalies and have been described in both the Gollop-Wolfgang complex and tibial agenesis-ectrodactyly syndrome. This article presents a case of Gollop-Wolfgang complex without hand ectrodactyly. Tibial agenesis-ectrodactyly syndrome and Gollop-Wolfgang complex are variants of tibial field defect, which includes distal femoral duplication, tibial aplasia, oligo-ectrodactylous toe defects, and preaxial polydactyly, occasionally associated with hand ectrodactyly.This article describes the case of a patient with bilateral tibial hemimelia and left femoral bifurcation. The proximal tibial anlage had not been identified in the patient's left leg. After failed fibular transfer procedure, the knee was disarticulated. The other leg was treated with tibiofibular synostosis and centralization of fibula to os calcis. At 7-year follow-up, the patient ambulates with an above-knee prosthesis and uses an orthopedic boot for ankle stability.In patients with a congenital absence of the tibia, accurate diagnosis is of the utmost importance in planning future treatment. In the absence of proximal tibial anlage, especially in patients with femoral bifurcation, the knee should be disarticulated. Tibiofibular synostosis is a good choice in the presence of a proximal tibial anlage and good quadriceps function.