ROLE OF EXTERNAL FIXATOR IN COMPOUND GRADE II &III A TIBIAL FRACTURE

In a field of trauma surgery, compound fracture of tibia had always been encountered with high complication rates. Bone and soft tissue injuries need aggressive yet meticulous management to avoid further damage that results in poor healing. The optimum treatment for open fractures of tibia remains controversial. Our study is to evaluate the role of external fixator application in the treatment of compound Grade II & IIIA tibial fractures. All 25 patients who presented with compound Grade-II & Grade-III A tibial fractures were considered for the study. The results obtained were analysed, In regards to the advantage and disadvantage in terms of soft tissue healing, time of fracture union and ultimate functional outcome. We had only 4.5% nonunion, malunion occurred in 2 patients, and bone grafting was needed in only 3 patients out of the 22 patients in our study. The initial external fixation afforded excellent accessibility for management of the soft-tissue injuries. The prospective collection of data from our series mainly comprising open tibial fractures has shown that techniques using external fixators are quick and easy to apply, especially in a polytraumatized patient, and that they minimize the risk of severe soft tissue complications; a significant decrease in the rate of complications. However, the time frames for union derived from the treatment of closed fractures are not applicable.