Intramedullary Nailing Treatment for Segmental Tibial Fractures

Fracture of the tibia is the most common fracture of the long bone and due to its anatomical property, significantly high rate of complication has been reported during and after treatment. Various ways of surgical treatment have been tried with reasonable satisfaction. Recently, closed intramedullary nailing under the image intensifier has been widely performed with good results. However, segmental tibial fractures are more difficult than ordinary tibial shaft fracture in terms of reduction and fixation. Its treatment has been rather challenging for average orthopedic trauma surgeons. Particularly, segmental tibial fractures are commonly combined with extensive soft tissue injury, comminution as well as displacement resulted in poor blood supply especially in its middle segment. In this paper we are reporting our experience with intramedullary nailing treatment for 13 segmental tibial fractures in 13 patients.