The Treatment of Tibial Shaft Fractures by Ender’s Nailing

Between July 1982 and July 1985, we treated thirty-one fractures of the tibial shaft by intramedullar ary Ender’s nailing at the Department of orthopedic Surgery of Pusan Paik Hospital. Reductions of the fractures were achieved by closed method in 25 cases and open method in 6 cases. The results were as follows. 1. The average age was 34. 5 years and the most common cause of injury was traffic accident(67.7%) 2. Nineteen cases (61%) were closed fracture and 12 cases (39%) open. Seventeen cases (55%) were simple fracture and 14 cases (45%) comminuted. The most common level of the fracture was middle third of the tibial shaft. 3. Twenty cases (64.5%) had associated injuries and average interval from injury to operation was 11. 8 days. 4. The average healing time was 16.7 weeks and the time prolonged in comminuted fractures than in simple fractures. 5. Complications were one case of valgus deformity (11°), one case of delayed union with pseudoane urysm of anterior tibial artery on fracture site and one case of infected nonunion in Grade III open comminuted fracture. 6. Ender nails are relative ease of nailing, allow early weight bearing and decrease complication. Ender nailing is considered to be a good method in treating tibial shaft fracture especially for management of multiple injured patient and when other procedures have failed.