DISTRIBUTION OF OPEN DIAPHYSIAL FRACTURES OF TIBIA GUSTILO TYPE IIIA AND IIIB

Abstract

Background: The incidence of tibial fractures is increasing. The objective of the study was to determine the frequency and distribution of open diaphysial fracture of tibia gustilo type IIIA and IIIB.
Material & Methods: This cross sectional study was conducted in department of Orthopedics, Dow University Hospital, OJHA Campus Karachi, from January 2015 to December 2016. Sample size was ninety three patients selected through non-probability, consecutive sampling technique. All patients were treated by AO external fixator. Follow up of all these patients was done. Demographic variables were; gender, age in years and age groups. Research variables were; mode of injury, location of fracture, type of fracture, healing time in weeks and healing time groups. Age in years and healing time in weeks were numeric while all others were categorical variables. Mean and SD for numeric whereas frequency and percentages were calculated for categorical variables descriptively.
Results: Out of 93 patients, 87(93.54%) were males and 6(6.45%) were females. Age ranged was 20 to 60 years with mean age was 31.32+5.14 years. 73(78.49%) cases were due to road traffic accident, 16(17.20%) sustained injury following fall and firecracker injury was implicated in 4(4.30%) cases. Middle third of tibia was fractured in 62 (66.66%) cases, distal one third of tibia in 20 (21.50%) cases and proximal-third in 11 (11.82%) cases. Healing time was 18 to 28 weeks in both gustilo type-IIIA and IIIB. Mean healing time in gustilo type IIIA was 17+1.1 weeks while in gustilo type IIIB was 18+2.1 weeks.
Conclusion: Open diaphysial tibial fractures of gustilo type IIIB in the middle third of tibia were common in males of age group 31-40 years. Road traffic accidents were the most common cause.