Tibial fracture with or without fibular fracture--clinical studies

This report investigated 145 cases of closed tibial fractures treated with closed reduction and cast immobilization, and followed up at least for 2 years, from 1981 to 1984, at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital of Taiwan. The total delayed or nonunion rate was 28.3% (41 patients), and the healing period was 4.6 months on average (range, 3-6 months). Among them, the delayed or nonunion rate in the tibial fractures with fibular fracture group was 33.3% (35/105), but in the tibial fractures without fibular fracture group it was only 15% (6/40). The difference between the groups was statistically significant (P less than 0.05). The severity of soft tissue injury may be a very important prognostic factor for bone healing.