A Clinical Study of Ipsilateral Fracture of Femur and Tibia

Kim, Yung Tae; Lee, Dong Sik; Lim, Jung Kun; Song, Jong Sool

Abstract

Twenty-six cases of fracture of the femur and tibia on the same leg were treated in Masan Koryo General Hospital during the period 1981 1986. We studied all of these patients, divided by four groups according to the method of treatment, retrospectively with analysis of treatment and end results. The results were as follows : 1. Twenty-two patients were male and four patients were female. Of twenty-six patients, eighteen patients were at their third and fourth decades. 2. The main cause of injuries was traffic accident; 23 patients(88%). 3. The most common concomitant injury was fracture and dislocation in other site(14 cases). The fat embolism developed in one case and one patient had died due to head injury. 4. The average healing time of fracture was 17 weeks in femur and 20 weeks in tibia in group three, that was most rapid of all groups. 5. A good or excellent functional result was achieved in 87% of the patients treated with internal fixation of both fracture, 75% of the patients with internal fixstion for the femur fracture and external fixation for the tibial fracture, and 25% of the patients trested conservatively.