ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore effective approaches of treating elderly patients with distal tibiofibular fractures.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>From August 2008 to October 2012,175 elderly patients with distal tibiofibular fractures were treated with locking compression plate (LCP) through anterior tibial. There were 112 males and 63 females with an average of 71.3 (ranged 60 to 83) years old. Of them,89 cases were treated by anterior tibial tension reduced incision with LCP,including 62 males and 27 females with a mean age of (71.8 +/- 6.4) years old. Eighty-six patients were treated by distal tibial incision with LCP,including 58 males and 28 females with a mean age of (70.3 +/- 6.7) years old. Swelling time, operation time, intraoperative blood loss, hospital stay, healing time, complications and AOFAS scores were compared between two groups after operation.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Swelling time in anterior tension reduced incision with LCP and distal tibial incision with LCP was (5.6 +/- 1.3) and (9.7 +/- 2.1) days, healing time was (4.2 +/- 1.4) and (5.4 +/- 1.9) months,and complications were found 3 in tension reduced incision and 10 in distak tibial incision respectively;and all data shown statistically significant differences between two groups (P < 0.05). At 12 months after operation,AOFAS score was 89.0 +/- 9.7, 87.9 +/- 9.4; and there was no statistically significant difference between two groups (P > 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Tension reduced incision through anterior tibial combined with locking compression plate fixation in treating elderly patients with distal tibiofibular fractures can provide good clinical effects with quick fracture healing and low complications.</p>