Faaiz Ali Shah, Waqar Alam, Mian Amjad Ali.
Tibial Shaft Fractures: Interlocking Nail Versus Plating.
J Surg Pak Jan ;22(1):3-7.

Objective: To evaluate and compare the treatment results of tibial shaft fractures treated by two different methods, interlocking nail and plating. Study design: Randomized controlled trial. Place & Duration of study: Department of Orthopaedics & Traumatology, Lady Reading Hospital Peshawar, from February 2014 to February 2017. Methodology: A total of 50 patients with closed tibial shaft fractures were randomly assigned to two equal groups (one treated with closed interlocking nail and the other with plating). Postoperative results were assessed at one year follow up with Ekeland and Thoresen criteria and graded as excellent, good, fair and poor. Complications like infection, delayed union, nonunion and knee pain were assessed and compared for each groups. Results: Mean age of interlock group was 36±10.6 year and plating group 35.1±9.9 year. Plating achieved excellent results in 72% patients while interlocking in 44% (p value = 0.04). Postoperative infection, delayed union, knee pain and screw breakage were 20%, 24%,11% and 20% ( p value = 0.05) respectively in interlocking nail group but none in plating group. Conclusions: Tibial shaft fractures treated with plating gave excellent results with minimal postoperative complications than interlocking nail. We therefore recommend plating as a treatment of choice for treating such fractures.

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