A Clinical Sutdy of the Fracture of the Tibial Shaft

Ha, Sang Ho; Yoon, Te Hyun; Shin, Young Hwan

Abstract

Two hundred and eighty six cases of the fracture of the tibial shaft treated at Orthopedic Department of the Chosun University Hospital during the period from January 1974 to December, 1978. The following results were obtained. 1. Most common cases of the tibial shaft fractures were traffic accidents (66.1%). 2. The incidence of trauma was high in the young man, most frequent in the 2nd and 3rd decade (43.0%). 3. The evaluation was done according to the classification of Ellis. Among 286 cases of the fractures of tibial shaft, 139 being mild severity, 70 moderate severity and 77 major severity. 4. The group of mild severity at the fracture of upper 1/3 of tibial shaft was shown the best prognosis and the average healing period was 9.3 weeks. 5. The wound infections in the open fractures of tibial shaft were revealed 37 cases (35%) and 8 cases of chronic osteomyelitis (8%). 6. Of 54 cases, we experienced 38 cases of delayed union (13.3%), 16 cases of non-union (5.6%) and the highest rate of delayed or non-union was shown in the group of major severity at the fracture of lower 1/3 of tibiai shaft. 7. The open reduction by the compression plating reduced the time of healing period and delayed the time of healing period by the intramedullary nailing.