Comparison of trans patellar approach and medial parapatellar tendon approach in tibial intramedullary nailing for treatment of tibial fractures.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the post-operative complications of intramedullary nailing technique by transpatellar approach compared to medial parapatellar approach.


METHODS
Fifty patients with tibial fractures treated by intramedullary nailing through two transpatellar (t-group) and medial parapatellar (p-group) approaches were studied. Knee pain was assessed with visual analogue scale (VAS) for 2 weeks, 1, 3 and 6 months and range of motion (ROM) in 2 weeks and 3 months after surgery.


RESULTS
There were 23 males and 2 females with a mean age of 28.68 +/- 5.78 years in t-group and 21 males and 4 females with a mean age of 28.80 +/- 5.82 in p-group. There was significant difference in knee pain score after 3 months (p = 0.013) and 6 months (p = 0.009) between the two study groups (p-group had less pain than t-group). But there was not significant difference between the two study groups in range of motion after 2 weeks and 3 months of surgery.


CONCLUSIONS
Our study recommends medial parapatellar tendon approach, although both approaches are safe.
Department of Orthopedics, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
Alireza
A
Sadeghpour
Reza
R
Mansour
Hossein Akbari
HA
Aghdam
Mohamad
M
Goldust
D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005594:Fracture Fixation, Intramedullary / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010149:Postoperative Pain; D010329:Patella; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013710:Tendons; D013978:Tibial Fractures / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult