Open fractures of the shaft of the tibia treated by intramedullary nailing.

The technique and results of treating 57 selected open tibial shaft fractures by intramedullary nailing are reviewed. All but three of the the fractures were located in the middle third of the tibia; two thirds of these were transverse or short obliques. Excellent or good results were obtained in 87.7 percent of all cases. The mean time to union of Type I fractures was 12.6 weeks, of Type II fractures 15 weeks, and of Type III fractures 20.5 weeks. Complications included two infections in two of the Type III fractures.