Sequence of reduction and fixation in the treatment of middle and lower tibiofibular fractures on the same plane using tibial intramedullary nailing plus fibular plating / 中华创伤骨科杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To explore the sequence of reduction and fixation in the treatment of middle and lower tibiofibular fractures on the same plane using tibial intramedullary nailing plus fibular plating.Methods:A retrospective analysis was performed of the 58 patients with middle and lower tibiofibular fractures on the same plane from January 2016 to December 2017. They were 38 males and 20 females, aged from 20 to 65 years (average, 40 years). The left side was affected in 30 cases and the right in 28. By the AO classification, 27 cases were type 42-A, 18 ones type 42-B and 13 ones type 42-C. Of them, 33 had the fibula reduced and fixated first (the fibular group) while 25 had the tibia reduced and fixated first (the tibial group). The 2 groups were compared in terms of operation time, rate of tibial closed reduction, rate of dynamization of intramedullary nails, fracture healing time and postoperative complications.Results:All the patients were followed up for 12 to 24 months (average, 17.2 months). The operation time in the fibular group was 96 minutes ± 15 minutes, significantly shorter than that in the tibial group (116 minutes ± 19 minutes)( P<0.05). The rate of tibial closed reduction was 84.8% (28/33) in the fibular group and 60.0%(15/25) in the tibial group, presenting a significant difference ( P<0.05). There were no significant differences between the 2 groups in the rate of dynamization of intramedullary nails, fracture healing time or postoperative complications ( P>0.05). Conclusions:Tibial intramedullary nailing plus fibular plate osteosynthesis is an effective treatment for the middle and lower tibiofibular fractures on the same plane. When the fracture line is not located in the narrow segment of the tibia, reduction and fixation of the fibula first is advantageous over reduction and fixation of the tibia first, because it can facilitate tibial reduction and nail placement and improve surgical efficiency without increasing the fracture healing time.