title: Treatment of tibial shaft fractures by interlocking nailing.
abstract: Between 1982 and 1986, 60 tibial shaft fractures were treated by interlocking nailing. Of these, 10 were complicated by a pseudarthrosis. The results were assessed after a minimum follow-up of 2 years and were found to be good both in patients with fresh fractures and with pseudarthroses; in only 3 out of 60 cases was the outcome poor. The advantages of the techniques include: its suitability for virtually all types of shaft fractures ease of surgery early mobilization and weightbearing, with a low risk of infection rapid consolidation. Relative drawbacks are: radiation exposure longer preoperative preparation involvement of the entire shaft if infection develops irritation of the patellar tendon.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Ghent University Hospital, Belgium.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Harth
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Moerman
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: De Groote
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Vandekerckhove
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Verbeke
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Verdonk
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Claessens
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001858:Bone Nails; D004434:Early Ambulation; D005260:Female; D005594:Fracture Fixation, Intramedullary / Q000295:instrumentation; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D011542:Pseudarthrosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D011859:Radiography; D013978:Tibial Fractures / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*