Abstract:

BACKGROUND: It is difficult to maintain fracture end stability or protect damaged blood transport in treating open fractures of tibia and fibula. Combined external fixators can early restore bone structures and attenuate soft tissue injury following fracture.
OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical efficacy of combined external fixators for open fractures of tibia and fibula.
METHODS: A total of 28 cases of open fractures of tibia and fibula, including 22 males and 6 females, aged 23-61 years, were selected from People’s Hospital of Tianjin Wuqing District between March 2005 and December 2008. All patients were treated with the combined external fixator. The trauma healing and knee, ankle joint recovery, and complication were observed. The treatment effect was evaluated using Johner-Wruhs method.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The patients were followed-up for 8-24 months. There were 16 cases achieving bone healing in 4-6 months, 8 cases achieving bone healing in 8 months, and 4 cases within 12 months to achieve bone healing. No nonunion occurred, and limb functional recovery was satisfied. Johner-Wruhs evaluation was excellent in 18 cases and good in 10 cases. Results show that combined external fixators achieved an early fracture reduction, reliable fixation, early activities off the bed and reduced the incidence of complications of fractures in treating tibial and fibular open fractures.