Complications of tibial shaft soccer fractures

A retrospective study of AO type 42 tibial diaphyseal fractures that presen ted to a teaching hospital over a 54 month period was made to identify the proportion sustained whilst playing soccer, determine their characteristics and report treatment and outcome. Sport accounts for 73/329 (22.1%) of the se fractures and soccer 58/73 (79.5%) of these. All patients were male with mean age of 24.3 years (range 8-48). Fifty-four fractures were closed and 93.1% (54/58) were situated in the middle third or at the junction of the m iddle and distal thirds of the diaphysis. Fifty-six (96.6%) had simple or w edge patterns and 45 (77.6%) were right sided. Forty-four (76.2%) were trea ted non-operatively in plaster, 12 (20.3%) by intramedullary nails and two (3.4%) with external fixators. Two patients were lost to follow-up and the remaining 56 fractures united at a mean of 6.5 months. There were 21 compli cations in 19/56 (33.9%) patients which included 8/56 (14.3%) delayed/non-u nions requiring surgery. There was a significantly higher complication rate for operated fractures (p < 0.005) but no significant link to AO fracture type. Thus we cannot assume that treatment of these common fractures is wit hout risk, especially if they are treated operatively. (C) 2000 Elsevier Sc ience Ltd. All rights reserved.