Abstract:
The proximal tibia shaft fracture is known from clinical experience and literature as a problematic fracture type. This study will compare the biomechanical behavior of tibia bones, implanted with external fixateur, hybride fixateur, unreamed tibia nail + Clamp fixateur and unreamed tibia nail + 5–hole–plate in a simulated 42 C 3.3 fracture after the AO – Classification.
In an incomplete randomised block design 20 human tibia bones were compressed 9 mm staticly and controlled by distance. Power, time, passing way and movement in space of the bone fragments were taken.
The results show congruences of the different groups in stiffness, max load and rotation.
The implant group, the most stiff was UTN + LC-DCP (831±46 N/mm), followed by UTN + Clamp fixateur (330±96 N/mm), the external Fixateur (176±46 N/mm) and the hybride fixateur group (66±12 N/mm). All implant groups exept the UTN + LC-DCP to the fixateur group are statistically significant.
On rotation, also the UTN + LC-DCP group had less movement, followed in 2 of the 3 rotation possibilities by the external fixateur and the UTN + Clamp fixateur group.
Comparing the results with literature, the proximal tibia shaft fracture should not be stabilazed only by an intramedullar nail, because there is a lot of pseudarthrosis and abnormal position. Because of the supplementary help by the reposition and the introducing of the nail a small supplementary plate is recommended.
The external fixateur, using a stable construction, will also be a good solution.
The hybrid fixateur, using a similar construction as in the external fixateur group , has a worst stability as the external fixateur. It should be used for small bone fragments.