title: [Fracture healing after intramedullary nailing of simple tibial shaft fractures. A clinical comparison of reamed and unreamed procedures].
abstract: From January 1990 to June 1993, 56 patients with simple tibial shaft fractures were treated in the Surgical Department of the University/Municipal Hospital in Munich by primary intramedullary nailing, and 44 of these patients were followed up. The results in 17 who underwent unreamed intramedullary nailing (UTN) were compared with those in 27 in whom reamed procedures (RTN) were applied. There was no difference between the two groups in age, fracture type and localization. Soft tissue trauma prevailed, with 35% I degrees open fractures in the UTN group (RTN group, 3%). UTN patients were operated on an average of 45 h after trauma, and RTN patients, 5 days after trauma. Both groups showed about the same proportion of good and very good results (criteria of Johner and Wruhs), with 83% in the UTN group and 84% in the RTN group. The rate of complications was the same in both groups (11%), and we did not find any kind of infection. Two complications requiring revisions (nonunion, perforation of the nail) after UTN stress the importance of two-dimensional barring in the main fragments (especially when close to the metaphysis) and of reduced weight-bearing for 6 weeks after the operation. The slightly greater intramedullar instability after UTN did not cause a higher rate of nonunions or of fracture healing in a wrong position than RTN. The X-ray findings showed beginning osseous reunion after 13 weeks in the UTN group. This corresponds to earlier painless full weight-bearing after an average of 9.7 weeks, as against 12 weeks in the RTN group.
authors.affiliation: Chirurgische Klinik und Poliklinik, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ruchholtz
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Nast-Kolb
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Betz
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Schweiberer
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005594:Fracture Fixation, Intramedullary / Q000295:instrumentation*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D011859:Radiography; D012086:Reoperation; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013978:Tibial Fractures / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*
vernacular_title: Frakturheilung nach Marknagelung einfacher Tibiaschaftfrakturen. Ein klinischer Vergleich gebohrter und ungebohrter Verfahren.