title: Unstable closed tibial shaft fractures: a prospective evaluation of surgical treatment.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To define the roles of the rigid interlocking nail and the semirigid Ender nail in the treatment of closed unstable tibia] shaft fractures.
  
  
  METHODS
  Randomized, clinical, prospectively study with detailed comparison of parameters.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data on 116 unstable closed tibial shaft fractures were collected. Randomly, 60 tibiae were fixed with interlocking nails and 56 tibiae were fixed with Ender nails. The follow-up period was 24 (16-32) months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the interlocking nail group, the average blood loss was 189 cc, operation time was 51 minutes, length of hospital stay was 7 days, and union time was 14.2 weeks. In the Ender nail group, the average blood loss was 95 cc, operation time was 30 minutes, length of hospital stay was 5.0 days, and union time was 16.9 weeks. Student's t test was used for statistical significance.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  For more comminuted unstable tibial shaft fractures, an interlocking nail is undoubtedly a better choice, but an Ender nail still is effective in some aspects of treatment in the less comminuted unstable tibial shaft fractures.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Veterans General Hospital-Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: F Y
authors.initials: FY
authors.lastname: Chiu
authors.forename: W H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Lo
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: T H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: C K
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001858:Bone Nails; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D017102:Fracture Healing; D005596:Fractures, Closed / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013978:Tibial Fractures / Q000601:surgery*