Fractures of the tibia - Can their outcome be predicted?

We have carried out a prospective study to determine whether the basic desc riptive criteria and classifications of diaphyseal fractures of the tibia d etermine prognosis, as is widely believed. A number of systems which are re adily available were used, with outcome being determined by standard measur ements including fracture union, the need for secondary surgery and the inc idence of infection. Many validated functional outcomes were also used. The Tscherne classification of closed fractures proved to be slightly more pre dictive of outcome than the others, but our findings indicate that such sys tems have little predictive value.