Minimally Invasive Percutaneous Plate Osteosynthesis for Distal Tibial Shaft Fracture

Yang, Jun Young; Rhee, Kwang Jin; Lee, June Kyue; Hwang, Deuk Soo; Shin, Hyun Dae; Lee, Hyun Ho

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Minimally invasive percutaneous plate osteosynthesis(MIPPO) was performed to treat distal tibial shaft fracture, and the results were compared to those of open plate fixation to find appropriate treatments
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Among the patients who visited the Orthopedics Department at our hospital and were diagnosed with distal tibial shaft fracture, 12 cases that received MIPPO and 14 cases receiving open plate fixation were chosen for the study. The average age of patients were 57.8 and 50.8 years, and the male:female ratio was 1:1 in both cases. The average post-operative follow up period was 18 months and 19.5 months, and simple X-ray was done to evaluate the fracture healing.
RESULTS
The cases that received MIPPO, the operation time was 46.5 minutes and the average period of hospitalization was 25.3 days. There were no Nonunion, one case of delayed union, and one case of superficial infection. In the open plate fixation group, was 115.6 minutes and 48.3 days. Nonunion was in two cases, delayed union in two cases, superficial infection in one case, and deep infection in two cases. The nonunion cases were later given autogenous bone graft and fracture healing was attained.
CONCLUSION
By performing MIPPO quicker recovery of the patient can be made. Infection and nonunion, the most important complications due to operation, can be reduced. MIPPO thus seems to be the method leading to more close physiologic bone fusion in the treatment of distal tibial shaft fracture.