COMPARISON OF EFFECTS OF DIFFERENT NAIL TIP POSITIONS ON ANTERIOR KNEE PAIN AFTER INTRAMEDULLARY INTERLOCKING NAILING FOR TIBIAL SHAFT FRACTURES

Abstract

Objective: To determine the frequency of anterior knee pain after intramedullary interlocking nailing in tibial shaft fractures and to compare the intensity of anterior knee pain between positive and negative anterior cortex nail groups.
Study Design: Quasi-experimental study.

Place and Duration of Study: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Combined Military Hospital Rawalpindi, from Oct 2018 to Apr 2019.

Methodology: 100 cases of tibial shaft fracture were divided into two groups according to anterior cortex nail distance. Patients 18-40 years of age of both genders, closed fractures, Gustilo Andersen I open tibial diaphyseal fractures and nail tip more than 5mm from tibial tuberosity were included. Patients with osteoarthritis, pathological fractures, renal disease, open fracture GA-II & GA-III and knee instability were excluded from the study. Both groups with positive and negative anterior cortex nail distance were compared for pain using the chi-square test.

Results: Frequency of anterior knee pain after intramedullary interlocking nailing in tibial shaft fractures was found in 24% of patients. 8 (16%) out of 50 patients in the group with nail tip deep to anterior cortex had anterior knee pain while 16 (32%) out of 50 patients in the group with nail tip protruding from anterior cortex suffered anterior knee pain (p-value = 0.061).

Conclusion: Intramedullary interlocking nailing in tibial shaft fractures with nail tip deep to anterior cortex showed less pain as compared to nail tip protruding from anterior cortex although it was not statistically significant.