The management of pretibial lacerations

Introduction Pretibial lacerations are common injuries, often presenting in the elderly and infirm. Unclear management pathways often result in inappropriate care. We identify patient demographics, morbidity risk factors, injury severity and management options. Materials and methods This retrospective study involved analysing databases and hardcopy notes for patients admitted with pretibial lacerations to Addenbrooke's Hospital, January to December 2012. Microsoft Excel and Fishers exact test were used to analyse the data with a P-value of less than 0.05 representative of statistical significance. Information on patient demographics, site of lesion, preoperative symptoms, management, operative details and clinical outcomes were collected. Results A total of 36 patients were identified; the mean age was 79 years (± 16 years, 1 standard deviation) with a three to two female to male preponderance; 57% of injuries were caused by mechanical fall, 33% traumatic blunt impact and 7% road traffic accidents. American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status classification was 43% level III, 40% II, 9% I and 9% IV. Dunkin classification of severity was 33% grade III, 30% grade I, 24% grade IV and 12% grade II. Median inpatient duration was 11 days for surgically managed compared with 15 days for conservatively managed patients. Discussion Pretibial lacerations tend to affect the elderly. Management is compounded by polypharmacy and comorbidities. If inadequately managed, such injuries can adopt characteristics of chronic wounds, with lengthy inpatient stays. Surgical intervention may be appropriate where injuries are severe and the patient stable enough for theatre. Conclusions We believe that surgical management with autologous tissue repair, with minimal delay between presentation and theatre, is warranted for extensive injuries wherever possible, with conservative management used for predominantly less extensive pretibial lacerations.