Distal tibial fractures

Summary

Information from four case series on the treatment of distal tibial fractures by intramedullary (IM) nailing and five case series where plating was used indicates that fracture union rates are high after either treatment, but malunion may occur less often after IM nailing than after plating. Reoperation rates varied widely among studies. Hardware breakage and infection rates were low. Well-designed comparative studies are needed to more effectively compare these two treatment options.