Minimal Surgical Treatment of the Tibial Pilon Fracture

Chung, Min Young; Kim, Chang Woo; Jung, Joon Kwon; Bae, Eun Hwan; Park, Ho Keun; Park, Seong Ho; Hur, Jang Won

Abstract

The goals of the treatment of pilon fracture include to restore a normal anatomy and functional level of uninjured state. We analysed the clinical outcomes of the treatment of pilon fractures with calcaneal traction and percutaneous intramedullary nailing in the fibula (group A, 12 cases), or open reduction and internal fixation (group B, 11 cases) in 23 cases between April 1994 and March 1997. All of the patients were followed for at least one year (average, 18 months; range, 12 to 24 months). Fifteen patients were male (group A, 8; group B, 7), and eight were female (group A, 4; group B, 4). Falling-down injury is the most common cause and automobile accident is the second. According to the R.. uedi and Allg.. ower classification, type II fractures were most common. In the group A, two of the 12 fractures were type I, six were type II, and four were type III, and in the group B, two of the 11 fractures were type I, six were type II, and four were type III. According to the criteria of Mast and Teipner, in the group A, six were good result and six were fair, and in the group B, four were good, five were fair, and two were poor. A nonunion with wound infection and a malunion developed in the group B. The results in the group A were better than those in the group B in clinically, we propose the minimal surgical treatment is useful treatment option of pilon fracture.