Background:

Distal tibia fracture surgery can be quite difficult and have a lot of problems. In order to successfully treat distal tibial fractures, soft tissue recovery is crucial.

Aim: to assess the effectiveness and side effects of a minimally invasive anterolateral locking device in management of distal tibial Pilon fractures.

Patients and methods:

It is an observational prospective cohort research. We managed adult patients with distal tibial fractures of the AO 43C type who were hospitalized to our level I trauma center between March 2022 and August 2023. Following surgery, every patient was monitored for a minimum of 9 months. the mechanism of trauma, comorbidities, classifications, fracture-surgery interval, radiological exposure, surgery duration, complications, and The American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) score were collected.

Results:

The 25 patient was monitored for 9 to 18 months. The anatomic reduction was achieved in all cases. With the exception of one case, the majority of incisions healed well without necrosis two weeks following surgery. The healing time for the fractures was between 12 and 18 weeks (on average, 13.71.2 weeks). In the meantime, period of 4.95 months (3e12 months), full weight bearing was permitted. In any event, no significant local wound complication requiring revision surgery was observed. Five instances had minor problems, including two cases of delayed union, one case of a muscle hernia, one case of a superficial infection, and one case of sensory disturbance over the anterolateral foot.

Conclusion: anterolateral plating is a good one-step treatment for tibial pilon fractures.