UNSTABLE CLOSED TIBIAL SHAFT FRACTURES - A PROSPECTIVE EVALUATION OF SURGICAL-TREATMENT

Objective: To define the roles of the rigid interlocking nail and the semirigid Ender nail in the treatment of closed unstable tibial shaft fractures. Design: Randomized, clinical, prospectively study with deta iled comparison of parameters. Materials and Methods: Data on 116 unst able closed tibial shaft fractures were collected. Randomly, 60 tibiae were fixed with interlocking nails and 56 tibiae were fixed with Ende r nails. The follow-up period was 24 (16-32) months. Measurement and M ain Results: In the interlocking nail group, the average blood loss wa s 189 cc, operation time was 51 minutes, length of hospital stay was 7 days, and union time was 14.2 weeks. In the Ender nail group, the ave rage blood loss was 95 cc, operation time was 30 minutes, length of ho spital stay was 5.0 days, and union time was 16.9 weeks. Student's t t est was used for statistical significance. Conclusions: For more commi nuted unstable tibial shaft fractures, an interlocking nail is undoubt edly a better choice, but an Ender nail still is effective in some asp ects of treatment in the less comminuted unstable tibial shaft fractur es.