Reduction techniques for intramedullary nailing of tibial shaft fractures: a comparative study.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the impact of various reduction techniques on postoperative alignment following intramedullary nail (IMN) fixation of tibial shaft fractures. DESIGN: Retrospective comparative study. SETTING: Level I trauma center. PATIENTS: Four hundred twenty-eight adult patients who underwent IMN fixation of a tibial shaft fracture between 2008 and 2017. INTERVENTION: IMN fixation with use of one or more of the following reduction techniques: manual reduction, traveling traction, percutaneous clamps, provisional plating, or blocking screws. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Immediate postoperative coronal and sagittal plane alignment, measured as deviation from anatomic axis (DFAA); coronal and sagittal plane malalignment (defined as DFAA >5° in either plane). RESULTS: Four hundred twenty-eight patients met inclusion criteria. Manual reduction (MR) alone was used in 11% of fractures, and adjunctive reduction aids were used for the remaining 89%. After controlling for age, BMI, and fracture location, the use of traveling traction (TT) with or without percutaneous clamping (PC) resulted in significantly improved coronal plane alignment compared to MR alone (TT: 3.4°, TT+PC: 3.2°, MR: 4.5°, P = .007 and P = .01, respectively). Using TT+PC resulted in the lowest rate of coronal plane malalignment (13% vs 39% with MR alone, P = .01), and using any adjunctive reduction technique resulted in decreased malalignment rates compared to MR (24% vs 39%, P = .02). No difference was observed in sagittal plane alignment between reduction techniques. Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) results indicated excellent intraobserver reliability on both planes (both ICC>0.85), good inter-observer reliability in the coronal plane (ICC = 0.7), and poor inter-observer reliability in the sagittal plane (ICC = 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The use of adjunctive reduction techniques during IMN fixation of tibia fractures is associated with a lower incidence of coronal plane malalignment when compared to manual reduction alone. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic Level III.

Diagnosing Fractures of the Distal Tibial Articular Surface in Tibia Shaft Fractures: Is Computed Tomography Always Necessary?

OBJECTIVES: To identify the incidence of distal articular fractures in a series of distal third tibia shaft fractures and to report the utility of both computed tomography (CT) scans and Radiographic Investigation of the Distal Extension of Fractures into the Articular Surface of the Tibia (RIDEFAST) ratios for identification of articular involvement. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort. SETTING: Level 1 trauma center. PATIENTS: Four hundred seventeen patients with distal third tibia shaft fractures were included in the study. INTERVENTION: Intramedullary nail or plate fixation. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Type of articular fracture, time of diagnosis, and RIDEFAST ratios. RESULTS: One hundred one of the 417 distal third fractures (24%) had a fracture of the distal tibia articular surface. Of these 101 fractures, 41 (41%) represented an extension of the primary fracture line and 60 (59%) were separate malleolar fractures. Of the 101 articular fractures, 95 (94%) were identified preoperatively and 6 (6%) were identified intraoperatively. Of the 95 fractures identified preoperatively, 87 (92%) were identified on plain radiographs and 8 (8%) by CT scan. Thirty-five preoperative CT scans were performed on distal third tibia shaft fractures in search of an intra-articular fracture. In 27 patients (77%), no articular fracture was present, representing an overall yield of 23% among CT scans performed to rule out an articular fracture in distal third tibia shaft fractures. RIDEFAST ratios for all 101 distal tibia shaft fractures with articular involvement and 100 fractures with no articular involvement were not significantly different (P > 0.05) using both coronal and sagittal plane measurements. CONCLUSIONS: CT scans performed on distal third tibia shaft fractures in search of articular fractures had a low yield (23%). Widespread use of CT scan to diagnose fractures of the distal tibia articular surface in the setting of distal tibia shaft fractures does not seem warranted. No statistically significant differences in RIDEFAST ratios were found between fractures with and without articular involvement, indicating that more work is necessary before RIDEFAST can be used to reliably rule out articular involvement in this setting. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Diagnostic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Clinical and radiographic outcomes following retrograde SIGN fin nailing for femoral shaft fractures.

PURPOSE: The Surgical Implant Generation Network (SIGN) intramedullary nail was designed for use in resource limited settings which often lack fluoroscopy, specialized fracture tables, and power reaming. A newer design iteration, the SIGN Fin nail, was developed to further simplify retrograde femoral nailing by making proximal interlocking screw placement unnecessary. Instead, the leading end of the Fin nail achieves stability through an interference fit within the proximal femoral canal. While the performance of the traditional SIGN nail has been reported previously, no large series has examined long-term clinical and radiographic outcomes of femoral shaft fractures treated with the SIGN Fin nail. METHODS: The SIGN online surgical database was used to identify all adult femoral shaft fractures treated with the SIGN Fin nail since its introduction. All patients with minimum 6 month clinical and radiographic follow-up were included in the analysis. Available demographic, injury, and surgical characteristics were recorded. Fracture alignment was evaluated on final follow-up radiographs using a previously validated on-screen protractor tool. Coronal and sagittal plane alignment measurements were recorded as deviation from anatomic alignment (DFAA), with units in degrees. Fracture healing was assessed on final follow-up radiographs, with union defined as any bridging callus and/or cortical remodeling across one cortex on orthogonal views. Clinical outcomes available in the database included knee range of motion (ROM) greater than 90° and weight-bearing status at final follow-up. Clinical and radiographic outcomes were then compared between patients with united and nonunited fractures. RESULTS: The database query identified 249 femoral shaft fractures stabilized with the Fin nail in 242 patients who had minimum 6 month clinical and radiographic follow-up. Final follow-up radiographs were performed at an average of 48 weeks postoperatively. Average coronal and sagittal plane alignment measured on final follow-up radiographs were 2.18° and 2.58°, respectively. The rate of malalignment (DFAA > 10° in either plane) at final follow-up was 6%. Two hundred twenty-nine fractures (92%) were united at final follow-up. Overall, 209 (84%) of patients achieved full weight bearing and 214 (86%) achieved knee ROM >90° at final follow-up. Compared to patients with united fractures, those with nonunion were less likely to achieve full weight bearing (20% vs 90%, P < .001) and knee ROM >90° (30% vs 91%, P < .001). There was no significant difference in mean DFAA between united and nonunited fractures in the coronal (2.1° vs 3.8°, P = .298) or sagittal (2.5° vs 3.5°, P = .528) planes. CONCLUSION: The SIGN Fin nail achieves satisfactory radiographic alignment and clinical outcomes at minimum 6 month follow-up. The overall union rate is comparable to that achieved with the standard SIGN nail. Ease of implantation makes the Fin nail an attractive option in resource-limited settings.