A new ultradistal locking tool in intramedullary nailing for tibial fractures

Abstract

Objective To evaluate the clinical application of our self-designed ultradistal locking tool in the intramedullary nailing for tibial fractures. Methods From January 2014 to May 2016, 175 patients with tibial fracture were treated at our department. They were 119 men and 56 women, from 19 to 73 years of age (average, 46.3 years). They were divided into 2 groups according to the different targeting devices used in the intramedullary nailing. Conventional locking tools were used in the 83 patients from January 2014 to January 2015 and our self-designed new ultradistal locking tools in the 92 patients from February 2015 to May 2016. The 2 groups were compared in terms of operation time, frequency of intraoperative fluoroscopy, and successful rate of one-time locking. Results There were no significant differences between the 2 groups in general clinical data(P >0.05), showing similarities of the 2 groups. The operation time(59.8±4.3 min), frequency of intraoperative fluoroscopy(11.0±2.1 times), and rate of one-time successful locking[94.4%(238/252)] in the ultradistal locking group were significantly better than those in the conventional locking group[73.6±5.3 min, 23.0±3.8 times and 85.7% (180/210), respectively](P< 0.05). Conclusions Our new ultradistal locking tools are superior to the conventional ones in that they lead to shorter operation time, less intraoperative fluoroscopy and higher successful rate of one-time locking. Additionally, the new locking tools are easy to handle and incur no extra costs. Key words: Tibial fractures; Fracture fixation, intramedullary; Bone nails