Abstract:[Objective] To evaluate the clinical outcomes of antibiotic-loaded bone cement combined with vacuum-assisted closure(VAC) for Gustilo-Ⅲ tibiofibular fractures. [Methods] A retrospective study was conducted on 60 patients who received treatments forGustilo type Ⅲ tibiofibular fractures in our hospital from March 2020 to September 2021. According to preoperative doctor-patient commu-nication, 31 patients were treated with antibiotic-loaded bone cement combined with VAC (the combination group), while the remaining 29patients were treated with VAC only (the VAC group) after a thorough debridement and external fixation in the first stage. The documents re-garding perioperative period, laboratory tests and follow-up were compared between the two groups. [Results] All patients in both groupshad operations performed smoothly without serious complications. Although there were no significant differences in the first-stage operationtime and VAS scores between the two groups (P>0.05), the combination group proved significantly superior to the VAC group in terms ofthe time elapsed prior to the second stage of preoperative time [(9.9±1.7) days vs (11.0±1.9) days, P=0.014], exudation scale [0/I/II/III/IV,(6/17/5/3/0) vs (2/11/10/4/2), P=0.017], granulation scale [I/II/III/IV, (18/8/4/1) vs (9/12/6/2), P=0.048], the bacterial culture before the sec-ond stage of surgery [positive/negative, (1/23) vs (6/17), P=0.035], wound closure mode [suture/skin graft/flap, (24/5/2) vs (13/11/5), P=0.034], wound healing time [(25.8±5.1) days vs (29.6±5.5) days, P=0.007], hospital stay [(29.6±4.5) days vs (33.0±5.5) days, P=0.011] andthe treatment costs [(6.3±0.5) ten thousand yuan vs (6.7 + 0.6) ten thousand yuan, P=0.003]. Regarding laboratory tests, the WBC, NEU,CRP and ESR were significantly decreased over time in both groups (P<0.05), which in the combination group were significantly better thanthose in the VAC group just before the second stage of surgery (P<0.05). In addition, the combination group was significantly better than theVAC group in terms of fracture healing time [(6.2±1.7) months vs (7.3±1.5) months, P=0.011] and fracture union state [good/delayed/non-union/osteomyelitis, (25/4/1/1) vs (17/6/2/4), P=0.016]. The local scar grade and limb function based on Johner-Wruh criteria significantlyimproved over time in both groups (P<0.05), which in the combination group were significantly better than those in the VAC group at 3months after surgery (P<0.05), but became not statistically significant between the two groups at 6 and 12 months after surgery (P>0.05).Moreover, the combination group was also significantly superior to the VAC group in term of the patient satisfaction (P<0.05). [Conclusion]The antibiotic-loaded bone cement combined with vacuum assisted closure has the advantages of shortening treatment period, reducing therisk of infection and promoting fracture healing over the VAC only.