Circumstances of Injury

On March 3rd, near the village of Nadiivka in the Pokrovsk district, our team was evacuating a wounded soldier. As we were carrying him out of the danger zone, an enemy drone dropped an explosive device. The charge landed directly between my legs.

In the moment of the blast, there was no fear and no pain — just a sharp surge of adrenaline and a clear focus on continuing the evacuation. The explosion severely injured both of my legs, but my brothers-in-arms reacted instantly and pulled me out of the strike zone.

Once I was stabilized and the adrenaline wore off, the full extent of the injuries became clear. Doctors applied an Ilizarov external fixator to my left leg to stabilize the broken bones, and a standard external fixation frame was placed on my right leg.

Diagnosis:

Status after an explosive injury (03/03/2025) to both lower limbs with gunshot-type fractures of both bones in both shins.

An explosive injury means the damage was caused by a blast that generated shrapnel and a powerful shockwave.

Both lower limbs were affected — meaning both legs sustained trauma.

Gunshot-type fractures of the tibia and fibula in each leg indicate that the two main bones of the lower leg were broken on both sides. These fractures are typically caused by shrapnel and blast force and are classified as severe, high-energy injuries.

Clinical Decision

Locked retrograde intramedullary nailing.

Locked retrograde intramedullary nailing is a surgical method used to stabilize severe fractures by placing a metal rod inside the bone to hold it securely in place.

Intramedullary fixation means the broken bone is stabilized from the inside using metal hardware so it can heal correctly.

The rod is a long metal implant inserted into the natural canal inside the bone.

Retrograde means the rod is inserted from the lower end of the bone upward (often through the joint area), depending on the fracture location.

Locked indicates that the rod is additionally secured with screws to prevent any movement. This ensures the bone stays properly aligned during healing.