Yalkın Çamurcu1, Hakan Sofu1, Ahmet Issın1, Nizamettin Koçkara1, Erdinç Genç2, Mehmet Çetinkaya2

1Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Medical Faculty of Erzincan University, Erzincan, Turkey
2Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Mengucek Gazi Training and Research Hospital, Erzincan, Turkey

Keywords: Distal locking; fracture healing; intramedullary nailing; talon; radiation dosage; tibial fracture.

Abstract

ABSTRACT Objectives: This study aims to compare the results of talon tibial intramedullary (IM) nailing with the results of conventional distal locked tibial IM nailing.
Patients and methods: The study included 60 patients (37 males, 23 females; mean age 42.2 years; range 18 to 92 years) who underwent tibial IM nailing with the diagnosis of unilateral, closed or open (Gustilo-Anderson type 1) tibial diaphyseal fracture (Orthopaedic Trauma Association 42) between January 2013 and January 2016. Patients were separated into two groups as talon tibial IM nailing group (group 1, n=30) and distal locked tibial IM nailing group (group 2, n=30). All patients’ operative and total radiation exposure times were recorded. At last control, American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society and Tegner Lysholm scores were evaluated for clinical outcomes. All complications were recorded.
Results: Mean operative time was 43.8 minutes in group 1 and 50.2 minutes in group 2. Mean radiation exposure time in group 1 was 5.4 minutes, which was three times shorter than the time of group 2, which was 17.5 minutes. Mean time until union was 16.9 weeks in group 1 and 12.2 weeks in group 2. Statistically significant differences were present between two groups in operative, radiation exposure time and time until union (p=0.019, p=0.001, p=0.001, respectively). When American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society and Tegner Lysholm scores were compared, there were no statistically significant differences (p=0.951 and p=0.896).
Conclusion: Talon tibial IM nailing is an easier and safer alternative to conventional distal locked tibial IM nailing with shorter operative and radiation exposure times. However, it should be kept in mind that the time until radiographic union may be longer compared to conventional tibial IM nailing.