Comparative study between Medial and Lateral Plate Osteosynthesis for Fixation of Distal Tibial Fracture | ||||
Al-Azhar International Medical Journal | ||||
Volume 2025, Issue 4, April 2025 | ||||
DOI: 10.58675/2682-339X.2888 | ||||
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Authors | ||||
Kamal Abd EL-Hafiz; Usama AbdAllah; Mohammed Ghait | ||||
Orthopedic Surgery, Faculty of Medicine for Boys, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt | ||||
Abstract | ||||
Background: The tibia is the most frequently fractured long bone due to its subcutaneous nature and precarious soft tissue coverage, particularly in the distal one-third. Aim: To assess clinical, radiological, and complication results of two methods of fixation of distal tibial fractures by medial and lateral plate osteosynthesis in 40 patients. Patients and methods: This prospective investigation was carried out on forty cases of distal tibial fractures who were admitted to Al-Azhar University Hospitals and Kafr El-Sheikh General Hospital from May 2022 to March 2023. They were divided regarding the type of plate into two groups: A) Anterolateral group and B) Medial group. Results: There was significant variance in the rate of complete union p-value less than 0.05, while there was insignificant variance in the time to achieve it between the Medial Plate Group and the Anterolateral Plate Group p > 0.05. Additionally, there were insignificant variances in the AOFAS score between the Medial Plate Group and the Anterolateral Plate Group (p > 0.05). The occurrence of osteoarthritis and skin infection wasn't significantly different between the two groups. Nevertheless, the frequency of skin sloughing was greater in the Medial Plate Group, but this variance wasn't statistically significant. Likewise, the occurrence of infected non-union was comparable among both groups, with insignificant variance P > 0.05. Conclusion: The anterolateral plate is a safe and feasible option for managing distal tibia fractures. It has the potential to offer biological fixation and prevent the soft tissue complications associated with medial plating. | ||||
Keywords | ||||
Medial; Lateral; Plate osteosynthesis; distal tibial fracture | ||||
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