Background: open fractures of the tibia are serious injuries that could be associated with catastrophic complications. Management of these fractures is challenging for orthopedic Surgeons to achieve optimum soft tissue coverage, stability, and functional outcome.
Purpose: Our study aims to assess the results of using IEF as a definitive method of fixation of these types of fractures.
Material and method: cohort study of 30 patients with open diaphyseal tibial fracture treated at the orthopedic department, Aswan University hospital in the period between (March 2019 to May 2021). Patients aged Between 14 and 70 years of age. Closed fractures, Bedridden or neglected patients complaining of Osteoporotic bone were excluded. We performed delayed primary wound closure in all the patients.
Results: The patients' median age was 32.7 years (18-50Y).The bone repair took an average of 4.3 months. Of an average 12-month follow-up. 122 minutes were spent operating on average (SD = 16.9). 90% of the patients experienced bone union which is comparable with the average (73.7-100%) of the data from the literatures. patients' average period with the IEF was 4.43± 1.47 months, with a range of 3 to 8 months, which is consistently a better outcome than those often reported in the literatures.
Conclusion: using an IEF as an adjunctive method for the fixation of open diaphyseal fractures has many advantages, including being a minimally invasive maneuver, bloodless operation, minimal post-operative pain, stable fixation with fewer risks of neurological and vascular injury than other maneuvers with a skilled hand and early rehabilitation.