title: LOCALIZATION OF THE TIBIAL ENTRY POINT.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the intramedullary nail entry point in the proximal region of the tibia, through a questionnaire.
  
  
  METHODS
  230 participants undergoing treatment for tibial fractures were interviewed. The questionnaire was created with three sections that could be answered in a "Yes" or "No" format and a fourth section that had two figures representing anteroposterior (AP) and lateral view x-rays that could be answered in an "A, "B" or "C" format.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The most frequent reason was "ease of access" (67.8%), followed by "better nail insertion access" (60.9%) and, in third place, "to prevent knee pain" (27.4%). The reasons for choosing the access so as to "prevent knee pain" and "avoid tendinitis" had a significant relationship with points "A" and "C" of the schematic AP x-ray figure, especially "C" (medial tibial crest). There were no significant differences between the types of access to the patellar ligament in the schematic AP and lateral x-ray figures between age groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The greater the age was, the larger the proportion choosing the question "to avoid valgus deformity" was. The reasons from a medical (practical) perspective related to the type of access in the transpatellar ligament, while the reasons from a patient (functional) perspective related to medial parapatellar access. Transpatellar access was chosen by most of the participants (66.5%).
authors.affiliation: PhD in Medicine from the Paulista School of Medicine, Federal University of Sao Paulo; Head of the Orthopedics and Traumatology Service "Prof. Dr. Donato D'Angelo", Hospital Santa Teresa, Petropolis, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Pedro José
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Labronici
authors.affiliation: Resident Physician in Orthopedics and Traumatology, Orthopedics and Traumatology Service "Prof. Dr. Donato D'Angelo", Hospital Santa Teresa, Petropolis, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ildeu Leite
authors.initials: IL
authors.lastname: Moreira Junior
authors.affiliation: Resident Physician in Orthopedics and Traumatology, Orthopedics and Traumatology Service "Prof. Dr. Donato D'Angelo", Hospital Santa Teresa, Petropolis, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Fúbio Soares
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: Lyra
authors.affiliation: Head of Department and Associate Professor of the Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, School of Medicine, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: José Sergio
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Franco
authors.affiliation: Physician in the Orthopedics and Traumatology Service "Prof. Dr. Donato D'Angelo", Hospital Santa Teresa, Petropolis, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rolix
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hoffmann
authors.affiliation: Physician responsible for the Trauma Group, Hospital de Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: Paulo Roberto Barbosa
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: de Toledo Lourenço
authors.affiliation: Head of the Trauma Group, Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology and Professor-Instructor at the School of Medical Sciences, Santa Casa de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Kodi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kojima
authors.affiliation: Adjunct Professor in the School of Medical Sciences, Santa Casa de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Kodi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kojima
keywords: Fracture fixation; Patellar ligament; Tibial fractures; intramedullary