Comparison between clinical outcome of fixation of fracture of distal third tibial shaft with fixation and without fixation of fibula

Abstract

Background: Fractures of tibia and fibula are one of the most common fractures of extremities in traumatic patients. Treatment of these fractures usually is surgical fixation of the tibia but there is not plenary study about the fixation of the fibula. Methods: All patients refers to Rasool hospital from Oct. 2009 to Oct. 2011 that achieved including criteria were entered in this prospective education and divided in to two groups: group 1 with 31 patients that was treated with fixation of the tibia and the fibula and group 2 with 34 patients that was treated with fixation of the tibia without fixation of the fibula and then severity of pain after the surgery, time of union, complication of the treatment and duration of the surgery were compared between them. Results: In group 1 severity of the pain and time of the union were significantly less than group 2. No nonunion was observed in group 1 but one was seen in group 2 that finally required surgical management. Duration of the surgery in group 1 was significantly longer than group 2. Conclusion: Although fixation of the fibula has taken longer duration of surgery, have better clinical outcomes.