The vascularised corticoperiosteal graft was introduced by Sakai and Doi, in 1991, as a means to achieve bony union under unfavourable conditions. We present our experience with this vascularised graft, taken from the femoral condyle, in six patients with difficult non-unions (5) or other bony problems (1) in the upper limb. In five cases, a long bone defect--two humeral, two ulnar and one radial--was involved. All had had between three and seven previous operations. Two of the non-unions were secondary to infection. The others had had conventional grafting on two or three previous occasions each. In the sixth case, a corticoperiosteal graft was used to promote healing in a combined carpometacarpal and intercarpal dislocation with a very poor bed. All of the grafts survived without complications and all of the bones healed radiologically in less than three months. Three patients achieved a normal range of motion and two obtained a functional range of motion with only slight limitations. The carpometacarpal arthrodesis was healed soundly at five weeks.

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Sagittal rotational malunion after distal radius fractures was identified in eight patients by the presence of a "hinge" point on the volar cortex on the lateral radiograph, and the ulnar head being shorter than the anterior lip of the radius on the posterior-anterior radiograph. The surgical correction consisted of preplating the distal fragment with a volar locking plate before an osteotomy through the "hinge" point, and correcting the dorsal tilt of the distal fragment. Any dorsal defect was filled with cancellous bone graft from the olecranon. Pain, range of motion and grip all improved. Disabilities of arm, shoulder and hand score changed from 54 to six. Dorsal sagittal tilt improved by 26 degrees , from -23 degrees to +3 degrees . Ulnar variance improved by 3 mm, from +1.5 to -1.5 mm, becoming identical to the opposite side. A pure derotational osteotomy corrected the apparent shortening of the radius and restored the volar tilt.

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