Bilateral external fixation combined with limited internal fixation in the repair of open fractures of middle and distal tibia and fibula：reliable fixation on the broken ends / 中国组织工程研究

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND:Open fracture of tibia and fibula is a common fracture of long bones. Simple external fixation is often difficult to achieve thorough and effective reduction and fixation. Shortcomings of open reduction and internal fixation highlighted in the high incidence of postoperative complications, and seriously affected the recovery of joint function. Therefore, external fixation combined with internal fixation for repair of open fractures of tibia and fibula has been extensively used in the clinic. OBJECTIVE:To explore the repair efficacy of bilateral external fixation combined with limited internal fixation on open fractures of middle and distal tibia and fibula. METHODS: Clinical data of 56 patients, who were identified by X-ray or CT examination and were diagnosed as having open fractures of middle and distal tibia and fibula in the Jining No.1 People’s Hospital, as the treatment group, were retrospectively analyzed from January 2009 to January 2013. Patients were subjected to thorough debridement, reduction of the fracture fragments, limited internal fixation and fixed bilateral external fixation within 8 hours. They received stage I suture. When the local conditions of the wound permitted, they received stage II grafting, and were repaired with adjacent muscle flap or free flap. The efficacy and postoperative complication were observed. Above data were compared with those of 44 patients with open fractures of middle and distal tibia and fibula who received reduction and internal fixation (control group). RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Among the 56 patients in the treatment group, the outcomes were excelent in 35 cases, good in 16 cases, average in 4 cases and poor in 1 case. The excelent and good rate was 91%. Among the 44 patients in the control group, the outcomes were excelent in 23 cases, good in 10 cases, average in 7 cases and poor in 4 cases. The excelent and good rate was 75%. The excelent and good rate was significantly higher in the treatment group than that of the control group (P < 0.05). Significant differences in incision length, operation time, fracture healing time and bone nonunion rate were detected between the two groups, and above indexes were better in the treatment group than in the control group (P < 0.05). These findings verify that bilateral external fixation combined with limited internal fixation for open fractures of middle and distal tibia and fibula is reliable, can significantly reduce postoperative complications after internal fixation, promote the healing of fracture, and is conducive to the early recovery training of the affected limb.