Damage control operation for treating severe multiple injury patients complicated with open tibia and fibula fractures

Abstract

Objective To explore the effect of external fixation of damage control operation for treating severe multiple injury patients complicated with open tibia and fibula fractures.Methods Fiftyeight severe multiple injury patients complicated with open tibia and fibula fractures from June 2006 to February 2011 were reviewed.According to the control strategy for tibia and fibula fractures,all patients were divided into two groups:32 patients in observation group were treated with external fixation and 26 patients in control group were treated with calcaneal traction or gypsum external fixation.Wound healing time,fracture healing time,and the incidence rate of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and multiorgan dysfunction syndrome (MODS),mortality and wound infection rate within 1 month between two groups were compared.Results In observation group,incidence of ARDS and wound infection rate within 1 month,wound healing time was 6.25％(2/32),31.25％(10/32) and (21.47 ± 6.84) d,respectively,while 24.00％(6/25),64.00％ ( 16/25 ) and (30.26 ± 2.18 ) d in control group,respectively,there were significant differences between two groups (P ＜0.05).The differences of the incidence rate of MODS and mortality within 1 month,fracture healing time of observation group were not statistically significant compared with control group (P ＞ 0.05).Conclusion External fixation of damage control operation for treating severe multiple injury patients complicated with open tibia and fibula fractures has the advantages of reducing complication occurrence and improving success rate. Key words: Tibia; Fibula; Fractures,bone; External fixators