Post-traumatic osteoporosis and algodystrophy after external fixation of tibial fractures

The incidence of two forms of post-traumatic osteoporosis and algodystrophy in the ankle region of 20 patients with displaced diaphyseal fractures of the tibia treated with external fixation were studied. Acute localised osteoporosis (ALO) occurred in 14 (70 per cent) and 5 (25 per cent) developed algodystrophy. ALO was significantly less frequent in matched patients treated by internal fixation or by external plaster-of-Paris (POP) cast. Regional osteoporosis (RO) was most common in POP patients. The presence of ALO may indicate the development of algodystrophy following tibial fracture. Our findings suggest that external fixation may predispose to ALO and algodystrophy.