Objective      To determine the efficacy of self-made osteotomy guide device in bone transport treatment for infected tibial nonunion.       Methods       All consecutive patients who were diagnosed as infected nonunion of tibia and needed bone transport treatment in our department from January 2010 to August 2013 were enrolled in this study. They were randomly divided into 2 groups

non-guiding group and guiding group (n=13). For the patients of the latter group

the osteotomy

located below the tibial tubercle

was carried out with a percutaneous multiple drill (in a diameter of 3.2 mm

drilling 4 holes before osteotome cutting) and an osteotome (in a width of 20 mm and thickness of 2 mm

with no time limit before cutting down the bone). Then

Orthofix limb reconstruction fixator was used on all the patients for external fixation and bone transport. For the patients of the former group

osteotomy was performed conventionally

and those of the guiding group performed osteotomy through our guide device. The bone cutting time

distance of bone transport and bone transport healing index (calculated as the cost time from the beginning of bone transport to the completion of bone mineralization divided by the distance of bone transport

expressed in month(s) per centimeter) after follow-up were recorded and calculated.       Results      The non-guiding group had the bone cutting time of 12.5±2.9 min

the distance of bone transport of 6.3±1.2 cm

and the bone healing index of 0.81±0.23. The guiding group had the bone cutting time of 9.5±1.6 min

the distance of bone transport of 6.6±1.0 cm

and the bone healing index of 0.92±0.13. Significant differences were seen in the bone cutting time and bone healing index between the 2 groups (P0.05).       Conclusion      Our self-made osteotomy guide device attenuates the damages to surrounding tissue and bone caused by drilling and osteotomizing during osteotomy

reduces the difficulty of osteotomy

shortens the time of osteotomy

and significantly reduces the time of callus formation and mineralization.