Closed tibial shaft fractures: management and treatment complications. A review of the prospective literature.

OBJECTIVE To compare the results and complications of the various modalities for treating closed fractures of the tibial shaft described in the prospective literature. DATA SOURCES A MEDLINE search of the English language literature from 1966 to 1999 was conducted using the MeSH heading "tibial fractures." Studies pertaining to the management of closed tibial shaft fractures were reviewed, and their reference lists were searched for additional articles. STUDY SELECTION An analysis of the relevant prospective, randomized controlled trials was performed. Studies including confounding data on open fractures or fractures in children were excluded. The 13 remaining studies were reviewed. DATA EXTRACTION Raw data were extracted and pooled for each method of treatment. DATA SYNTHESIS The 13 studies described 895 tibial shaft fractures treated by application of a plaster cast, fixation with plate and screws, and reamed or unreamed intramedullary nailing. Although definitions varied, the combined incidence of delayed and nonunion was lower with operative treatment (2.6% with plate fixation, 8.0% with reamed nailing and 16.7% with unreamed nailing) than with closed treatment (17.2%). The incidence of malunion was similarly lower with operative treatment (0% with plate fixation, 3.2% with reamed nailing and 11.8% with unreamed nailing) than with closed treatment (31.7%). Superficial infection was most common with plate fixation (9.0%) compared with 2.9% for reamed nailing, 0.5% for unreamed nailing and 0% for closed treatment. The incidence of osteomyelitis was similar for all groups. Rates of reoperation ranged from 4.7% to 23.1%. CONCLUSIONS All forms of treatment for tibial shaft fractures are associated with complications. A knowledge of the incidence of each complication facilitates the consent process. To fully resolve the controversy as to the best method of treatment, a large, randomized, controlled trial is required. This review more precisely predicts the expected incidence of complications, allowing the numbers of required patients to be more accurately determined for future randomized controlled studies.