Open fractures of the tibia treated with the Lottes nail.
Of fifty consecutive open fractures of the mid-part of the shaft of the tibia that were treated from 1975 to 1980 with immediate intramedullary Lottes-nail fixation and with débridement and irrigation, with minimum periosteal disruption, all but one healed. The rate of infection was 6 per cent; of delayed union, 16 per cent; and of malunion, 4 per cent. One fracture, with arterial injury, resulted in amputation. The wounds were classified as Gustilo and Anderson Type I (24 per cent), II (12 per cent), or III (64 per cent). Seventy-six per cent of the patients had other fractures, and 38 per cent had a fracture of the ipsilateral femur. Sixty-four per cent of the fractures were segmental and 36 per cent were transverse with comminution.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001858:Bone Nails; D003646:Debridement; D005260:Female; D005594:Fracture Fixation, Intramedullary / Q000295:instrumentation*; D005597:Fractures, Open / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D007507:Therapeutic Irrigation; D013978:Tibial Fractures / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D014946:Wound Infection / Q000209:etiology