Abstract
Thirty-nine tibial shaft fractures were treated using the AO Unreamed Tibial Nail (UTN) from November 1993 to March 2001.
The average age of these patients (27 men, 12 women) was 47.4 years old. Thirty-six fractures were observed followed-up until they had healed.
There were 13 open fractures, and UTN operation performed secondarily in these cases one or two weeks after injury. All fractures healed without septic complications. Surgery to remove static inter-locking bolts were planned and performed in 14 cases, and bone graft was performed in one closed fracture because union was delayed. No implant breakage occurred.
The average time to full weight bearing was 98 days (14.1 weeks), and the average time to bone union was 125 days (17.8 weeks). These averages contain the case in which time to full weight bearing and to bone union were exceptionally long because the patient had other concurrent, serious multiple fractures.
There were no significant differences in the average time to full weight bearing or to bone union between open fractures and closed fractures, or between AO type A fractures and other tibial fracture types. However, the average time to full weight bearing or to bone union of the open fractures were a little longer than those of closed fractures.
Because of the safety and less invasiveness, UTN was very useful for the treatment of tibial shaft fractures in these cases.
