title: Pylon fractures of the distal tibia.
abstract: Forty-two patients with pylon fractures were categorized into Rüedi and Allgöwer Type I (26%), Type II (29%), and Type III (45%) subgroups and assessed. The mean follow-up period was 4.4 years (range, two to eight years). Type I fractures were usually torsion injuries, whereas Types II and III fractures were associated with violence (i.e., motor vehicle accident or fall from a height). Types I and II pylon fractures proved to be amenable to open reduction and restoration of anatomic position, stable internal fixation, early joint motion, and delayed weight bearing. Over 80% of these patients had satisfactory function. Nonanatomic reduction, unstable fixation, infection, nonunion, malunion, and secondary arthrosis were associated with disability from Type III pylon fracture treatment. Only 32% of Type III pylon fracture patients had satisfactory joint function.
authors.affiliation: University Hospital, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada.
authors.forename: R B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Bourne
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000842:Ankle / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005593:Fracture Fixation, Internal / Q000379:methods; D005684:Gait; D006801:Humans; D008124:Locomotion; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009068:Movement; D010146:Pain; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013978:Tibial Fractures / Q000145:classification / Q000601:surgery*