Long-Term Patient-Reported Knee Outcomes After Suprapatellar Intramedullary Tibial Nailing.

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic surgery
• Traumatology
• Biomechanics

Background:

• Long-term knee outcomes after suprapatellar tibial fracture nailing are not well-established.
• Previous studies focused on short-term results, leaving a knowledge gap regarding sustained functional recovery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate long-term patient-reported knee function and outcomes following suprapatellar nailing of tibial shaft fractures.
• To identify factors associated with suboptimal knee function in the long term.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective cohort study involving 35 adult patients with 37 tibial shaft fractures.
• Assessment of long-term knee outcomes using the Tegner-Lysholm Knee Score (TLKS) at an average of 5 years post-surgery.

Main Results:

• The median TLKS score was 98, with 68% of patients achieving excellent outcomes.
• Most patients reported no limp (80%), ambulated without assistance (91%), and experienced no knee instability (83%).
• Poor or fair TLKS outcomes were significantly associated with the occurrence of complications.

Conclusions:

• Suprapatellar nailing for tibial fractures generally leads to good to excellent long-term knee outcomes.
• The development of complications is a key factor associated with poorer long-term knee function after suprapatellar nailing.