[Value of intramedullary locked nailing in distal fractures of the tibia]

This study is a retrospective analysis of 38 extra-articular distal tibial fractures treated by intramedullary locked nailing.

38 patients with a distal metaphyseal extra-articular fracture (43 A AO type) or with minimal ankle joint extension were managed. There was 26 men and 12 women with a mean age of 32.3 years, 10 fractures were open. The fractures were transverse or oblique in 13 cases, with torsional or flexion wedge in 12 cases and spiroïd in 13 cases. In only 2 cases was the fibula intact. AO classification was not useful because many fractures began more proximally than the limit described by Müller. All the fractures were fixed by closed locked intramedullary nailing : the nail was cut just after the distal hole and impacted close to the subchondral plate. In 7 cases the fibula was fixed too.

There was no postoperative complication in 27 cases. Three patients had a transient nerve palsy (one tibial nerve and two common fibular nerve). In ten cases the nail was dynamized. One patient had a non union but healed with a new dynamic nail. Two patients had a delayed union and healed after dynamization and osteotomy of the fibula. The mean time to union was 5 months (2 to 8). 8 patients had a varus or a valgus deformity of 3 to 6 degrees. 11 patients suffered from anterior knee pain and in 5 patients the fracture site was painful. In 18 patients a CT scan was performed : 6 had a rotational deformity from 4 to 26 degrees, and 2 a tibial lengthening (discrepancy of 7 and 9 mm).

Closed intramedullary nailing is a safe and effective method for the treatment of distal metaphyseal tibial fractures. The authors propose a new classification.