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Low-velocity gunshot fractures of the tibia
Edoardo Crainz1, Dario Gambera, Pietro Maniscalco
1Università degli Studi di Siena, Dipartimento di Scienze Radiologiche e Ortopedico-Riabilitative, Clinica Ortopedica e Traumatologica, Viale Bracci, 1, 53100 Siena, Italy.
Abstract:
A gunshot-related fracture is a unique type of open fracture. Bullet-induced fractures of the tibia may be encountered in any urban or rural setting as a result of hunting or cleaning mishaps or, perhaps more frequently, of criminal activity. For surgeons with limited experience, there is a bewildering range of apparently contradictory advice concerning their management. This article reports a case of a 53-year-old man with a highly comminuted bullet-induced shaft fracture of the tibia received during hunting activity. The patient was treated with a unilateral external fixator and vascularized flap for skin reconstruction. Six months after surgery, the external fixator was removed at clinical and radiological evidence of healing. At 1 year follow-up, the patient obtained complete healing and returned to normal activity.