Journal of investigative surgery : the official journal of the Academy of Surgical Research
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Open reduction and internal fixation better than percutaneous plate osteosynthesis in distal tibial fractures.
Minimally invasive percutaneous plate osteosynthesis (MIPPO) was compared with traditional open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) in treating distal tibial fractures. Patients diagnosed with displaced extraarticular distal tibial fractures during October 2005-June 2007 were randomly assigned to a closed (treated using MIPPO) and an open (treated using ORIF) group. Ninety-four patients with fractures were treated and followed up, of which 42 and 52 patients were enrolled in the open and closed groups, respectively. ⋯ No statistically significant differences were observed in the healing time of Types A and B between the open and closed groups (p > .05). The healing time of Type C in the open group was longer than that in the closed group (p < .05). The first choice for Type C fractures is MIPPO, whereas that for Type A is open reduction.