[Can unreamed tibial nailing replace external fixators in management of open tibial fractures?]

The recently developed unreamed tibial nail (UTN) offers a new possibility for biological osteosynthesis by intramedullary stabilization for tibial fractures including those with severe closed and open soft tissue damage. In a retrospective study we compared the well established method of external fixation with unreamed intramedullary nailing for open tibial shaft fractures. The data of our first 15 cases treated primarily by UTN (Group 1) and another 15 cases comparable in etiology, severity of trauma, fracture classification, open soft tissue damage and the rate for myocutaneous flaps and skin-grafts, treated initially by external fixation (Group 2) were reviewed. Septic complications were only seen in group 2 and made necessary a lot of following additional operations. One angular deformity was seen in each group. Group 1 showed a mean hospital stay of 26.3 days compared to 75.7 days in group 2. Full weight-bearing was achieved after 1.8 months (group 1) whereas it took 4.5 months in group 2. The first clinical experience using the UTN shows an obvious advantage in comparison to fracture management by external fixation mainly due to a low complication rate and a much shorter over all surgical treatment period.