Ender nail in unstable closed tibial fractures.
BACKGROUND
This retrospective study aims to evaluate the effect of Ender nail in management of unstable closed tibial fractures.


METHODS
From January 1985 to May 1992, 99 cases of unstable closed tibial shaft fractures (with fibular fractures) were collected for retrospective study. All the 99 tibiae were fixed with Ender nails. The mean follow up period was 80 (26-115 months).


RESULTS
The clinical results were evaluated with special charts. The average blood loss was 126 ml. Operation time was 45 minutes. Hospital day was 10.2 days. Union time was 16.8 weeks for Winquist-Hansen (WH) type I-II fractures and 20.5 weeks for VVH type III-V fractures. Student t test revealed statistically significant differences between the clinical results of WH type I-II cases and those of WH type III-V cases. The postoperative complications included superficial infection in 1 case (1%), nail protrusion in 13 (13%), malunion in 10 (10%), aseptic nonunion in 2 (2%) and infected nonunion in 1 (1%) (overall 18% in the 99 cases).


CONCLUSIONS
Ender nail is no doubt effective in treatment of less comminuted unstable tibial shaft fractures, but should be used carefully for more comminuted unstable tibial shaft fractures.
Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Veterans General Hospital-Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.
Y L
YL
Huang
F Y
FY
Chiu
W H
WH
Lo
T H
TH
Chen
C M
CM
Chen
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001858:Bone Nails; D005260:Female; D005596:Fractures, Closed / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013978:Tibial Fractures / Q000601:surgery*