Surgical treatment of distal tibia fractures: a comparison of medial and lateral plating

The surgical method of repairing distal tibial fractures remains controversial. Open reduction and plating is a popular method that can result in good fixation and retention of the achieved position. The usual approach for open plating is anterior. Although it offers good exposure to the tibia, the medial plating is at high risk of wound problems and nonunions. Also, if fixation of the fibula is required, an additional incision must be made on the lateral side of the shin. Lateral plating using a single lateral approach for treating distal tibial and fibular fractures has been reported to have good results; however, most of these studies were small series. We retrospectively evaluated and compared the clinical outcomes of distal tibial fractures treated with medial plating using an anterior approach and lateral plating using a lateral approach. Eighty-eight patients with distal tibial fractures treated with medial or lateral plating were retrospectively reviewed. The 88 fractures were divided into 2 groups: the medial plating group used an anterior approach and included 49 patients and the lateral plating group used a lateral approach and included 39 patients. Both groups were similar with respect to injury mechanism, union rate, malunion rate, operative time, functional score, and range of ankle motion (P>or=.14). Both medial and lateral plating for treating distal tibial fractures achieved good functional outcomes with a low malunion rate; however, the lateral plating group had a lower complication rate (P=.047) and fewer hardware problems (P<.001).