Purpose: To evaluate outcome of intramedullary nailing supplemented with Poller screws for proximal tibial fractures.
Methods: 30 men and 20 women aged 20 to 65 (mean, 33.2) years underwent intramedullary nailing supplemented with Poller screws for acutely displaced fractures of the proximal metadiaphyseal tibia. 80% of the fractures were caused by road traffic accidents. 29 cases had closed fractures and 21 had grade I or II compound fractures. Clinical and radiological outcome was evaluated.
Results: In all cases, healing occurred after a mean of 4.2 (range, 3–9) months. 46 patients recovered a full range of knee motion (0º–130º), and the remaining 4 attained flexion of 0º to 90º. According to the knee rating scale of the Hospital for Special Surgery, outcome was excellent in 45 patients, good in 3, poor in 2, at mean follow-up of 30.8 months. Postoperatively, 49 cases had <5º of varus or valgus malalignment, and only one developed varus of +7º. 45 cases exhibited no deformity of recurvatum/procurvatum, 3 had a deformity of <3º, and 2 had a deformity of 4º to 9º.
Conclusion: Poller screws help maintain fixation of intramedullary nailing and alignment of fractures.
Impact Factor
2022: 6.012
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