Biomaterial Database

Treatment of low-energy tibial shaft fractures: plaster cast compared with intramedullary nailing. 2001

J A Toivanen, and S E Honkonen, and A M Koivisto, and M J Järvinen

Department of Surgery, Tampere University Hospital, Finland. lljato@uta.fi

We analyzed data from 87 patients who had displaced closed or open grade I simple or spiral wedge tibial shaft fractures caused by low-energy impact. Fifty-four patients were treated with plaster cast and 33 with intramedullary locking nail (IMLN). Delayed union only occurred in 8 patients after plaster cast treatment. Forty-two patients in the IMLN group and one in the plaster cast group suffered from anterior knee pain. Final treatment outcome, healing time, hospitalization time and duration of sick leave were assessed on the basis of 25 matched pairs of patients. Mean healing time, hospitalization time and sick leave in the plaster cast and IMLN groups were 19 (SD 6.7) and 12 (SD 4.4) weeks (P<0.001); 8 (SD 4.8) and 7 (SD 2.7) days (P=0.686); and 195 (SD 81) and 106 (SD 31) days (P=0.001), respectively. No difference was found between plaster cast and IMLN groups when the outcome was evaluated using the criteria of Johner and Wruhs.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008297	Male		Males
D008875	Middle Aged	An adult aged 45 - 64 years.	Middle Age
D011336	Probability	The study of chance processes or the relative frequency characterizing a chance process.	Probabilities
D001858	Bone Nails	Rods of bone, metal, or other material used for fixation of the fragments or ends of fractured bones.	Bone Pins,Bone Nail,Bone Pin,Nail, Bone,Nails, Bone,Pin, Bone,Pins, Bone
D002370	Casts, Surgical	Dressings made of fiberglass, plastic, or bandage impregnated with plaster of paris used for immobilization of various parts of the body in cases of fractures, dislocations, and infected wounds. In comparison with plaster casts, casts made of fiberglass or plastic are lightweight, radiolucent, able to withstand moisture, and less rigid.	Fiberglass Casts,Plaster Casts,Plastic Casts,Cast, Surgical,Surgical Cast,Surgical Casts,Cast, Fiberglass,Cast, Plaster,Cast, Plastic,Casts, Fiberglass,Casts, Plaster,Casts, Plastic,Fiberglass Cast,Plaster Cast,Plastic Cast
D005260	Female		Females
D005500	Follow-Up Studies	Studies in which individuals or populations are followed to assess the outcome of exposures, procedures, or effects of a characteristic, e.g., occurrence of disease.	Followup Studies,Follow Up Studies,Follow-Up Study,Followup Study,Studies, Follow-Up,Studies, Followup,Study, Follow-Up,Study, Followup
D005594	Fracture Fixation, Intramedullary	The use of nails that are inserted into bone cavities in order to keep fractured bones together.	Intramedullary Nailing,Nailing, Intramedullary,Osteosynthesis, Fracture, Intramedullary,Fixation, Intramedullary Fracture,Fixations, Intramedullary Fracture,Fracture Fixations, Intramedullary,Intramedullary Fracture Fixation,Intramedullary Fracture Fixations,Intramedullary Nailings,Nailings, Intramedullary
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000328	Adult	A person having attained full growth or maturity. Adults are of 19 through 44 years of age. For a person between 19 and 24 years of age, YOUNG ADULT is available.	Adults