Taylor Spatial Frame or Reamed Intramedullary Nailing for Closed Fractures of the Tibial Shaft: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

OBJECTIVES: To compare a modern ring fixator [Taylor Spatial Frame (TSF)] and reamed intramedullary nailing (IMN) for the treatment of closed tibial shaft fractures. DESIGN: Randomized controlled trial. SETTING: Two university hospitals. PATIENTS: Patients between 18 and 70 years of age surgically treated for an acute tibial shaft fracture. INTERVENTION: TSF (n = 31) versus a reamed intramedullary nail (n = 32). The patients were followed up for 2 years. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: The physical component summary of Short Form 36 (SF-36) at 2 years was the primary outcome measure. Secondary outcomes included the other components of the SF-36, pain assessed by a visual analogue scale (VAS), complications, and resource consumption. RESULTS: The mean age was 43 years (SD 14.0), and 42 (67%) were men. The physical component summary at 2 years was 52.4 (SD 6.3) in the TSF group and 53.3 (SD 8.0) in the IMN group (P = 0.35). There were modest differences in the other SF-36 scores during the follow-up period. Up to and including 12 months, the TSF group had less knee pain [at 12 months: VAS 0.5 (SD 1.2) vs. VAS 2.4 (SD 2.2; P < 0.001)], but this was not statistically significant at 24 months [VAS 0.7 (SD 1.4) vs. VAS 1.5 (SD 2.0; P = 0.11)]. Superficial skin infections were more frequent in the TSF group [22 (71%) vs. 4 (13%); P < 0.001]. The number of other complications was similar between the groups. CONCLUSIONS: Both TSF and IMN provided good clinical results. TSF had more pin-track infections but less knee pain the first year. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic Level I. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

No difference in functional and radiographic results 8.4 years after quadricortical compared with tricortical syndesmosis fixation in ankle fractures.

OBJECTIVE: To assess long-term functional and radiologic results after two types of syndesmosis fixation, comparing one quadricortical syndesmotic screw fixation with two tricortical screw fixation in ankle fractures. DESIGN: Follow up of a previously conducted prospective, randomized clinical study. SETTING: University clinic, Level I trauma center. PATIENTS: Forty-eight patients with closed ankle fractures and concomitant syndesmotic rupture were operated on with quadricortical (n = 23) or tricortical (n = 25) syndesmotic fixation. RESULTS: Follow-up time was 8.4 years (range, 7.7-8.9 years). There were no statistical differences in the two groups regarding Olerud-Molander Ankle score, Orthopaedic Trauma Association score, or degree of osteoarthritis. Patients with a difference in the syndesmotic width between the operated and the nonoperated ankle of 1.5 mm or more showed a tendency toward poorer functional results (P = 0.056). Twenty-one patients showed synostosis on plain radiographs. Of these, only seven patients had synostosis verified on computed tomography, all of whom had significantly worse function. Patients with a posterior fracture fragment at time of operation had poorer Olerud-Molander Ankle score (73.1 versus 85, P = 0.05) and all had osteoarthritis as compared with 55% of those without a posterior fragment. Obese patients (body mass index greater than 30 kg/m2) also had poorer Orthopaedic Trauma Association score, but neither obesity nor being overweight predicted late arthritis. CONCLUSIONS: Follow up 8.4 years after surgery of ankle fractures with syndesmotic injury showed satisfactory functional results with only minor differences between the two groups of syndesmotic fixation. Obese patients had significantly poorer functional results. The presence of a posterior fracture fragment was an important negative prognostic factor regarding functional results. Plain radiographs overestimated tibiofibular synostosis. Synostosis on computed tomography, however, predicted impaired ankle function. A difference in syndesmotic width 1.5 mm or greater between the two ankles seemed to be associated with an inferior clinical result.

Treatment of traumatic forearm bone loss with Ilizarov ring fixation and bone transport.

Bone loss in the forearm results from high-energy trauma or follows non-union with infection. Ilizarov methodology provides stable fixation without implantation of permanent foreign bodies while permitting wrist and elbow movement. We are reporting our experience using distraction osteogenesis in the treatment of traumatic bone loss in the forearm. From 1991 to 2000, 11 consecutive patients with traumatic forearm bone loss were treated with Ilizarov ring fixation. Records were reviewed retrospectively. All patients were contacted 2-10 years after surgery at the Ilizarov Clinic in Lecco, Italy. Eleven atrophic non-unions with bone loss were treated. The time from injury to Ilizarov treatment averaged 2.1 years. Follow-up averaged 6.2 years. The union rate with Ilizarov treatment alone was 64%. Thirty-six percent of the patients were converted to a hypertrophic non-union and underwent compression plating. The overall rate of union was 100%. There were four unplanned reoperations and no refractures, neurovascular injuries or deep infections. Three patients had significant limitations of wrist function. Nine patients described their function as excellent. Ilizarov fixation with bone transport is a viable treatment option for atrophic forearm non-unions with bone loss. Treatment resulted in ablation of infection, healing of atrophic non-unions with minimal complications and early extremity use.