[Classification, treatment and results of fractures of the tibial pilon]

Considering the rate of complications and the remaining disability occurring after compression fractures of the distal end of the tibia - the so-called pilon fracture -, this type of fracture is one of the most serious injuries of the lower extremity. Such fractures of the distal end of the tibia can be caused by compressions as well as by direct of indirect traumatic violence, e.g. shearing, bending, or torsion effects. Of 102 patients with pilon fractures, 63 (= 61.8%) suffered this fracture by falling from a great height. When classifying our cases with fracture of the distal end of the tibia, and the diagnosed accompanying injuries, we found a dependence between expected consequences of the lesion and the seriousness of the accident before surgery already. During the treatment of patients suffering from pilon fractures, complications arose in 0% of group I, in 16.1% of group II, and in 27.6% of group III. With respect to the existing possibilities of surgical treatment of fractures, one should always - if possible - reconstruct the joint surfaces in an anatomically correct manner and apply an early functional treatment with late exertion of stress on the injured part.