TREATMENT OF EXPOSED FRACTURES OF TIBIA: A COMPARATIVE STUDY BETWEEN BIPLANE EXTERNAL FIXATOR AND LOCKED INTRAMEDULLARY NAIL

68 patients will be followed for a minimum of 12 months and a maximum of 24 months.

As inclusion criterion, the investigators considered those with shaft compound fracture of the tibia (occurring two inches below the knee and two inches above the ankle), that per the classification Gustillo and Anderson were grades I, II, and IIIA, in patients with a mature skeleton.

The presence of extensive skin lesions and soft tissue or arterial injury requiring surgical repair (Grades IIIB and C) in the initial care, other fractures with the exception of the fibula, or the presence of wounds with signs of infection in the period between the accident and definitive surgery, were used as exclusion criteria.

The patients will be treated in two ways, biplanar external fixator (Group I) and locked intramedullary reamed nail in the tibia (Group II), being divided into these groups by simple randomization.

During initial care in the emergency room, antibiotic prophylaxis, cleaning, debridement, and external splinting of the fracture were performed by staff on duty. There was no interference with respect to the type of assembly to be used in the initial care, leaving the doctor on duty free to use the type of external fixators which he is most used to.