Dynamics of tibial cortical bone density in patients with closed lower leg fractures at treatment stages

Purpose To study the dynamics of tibial cortical plate density during treatment of tibial fractures with transosseous osteosynthesis using computed tomography Material and methods Multislice computed tomography was used to study the density of the cortical plate in 35 patients with closed tibial fractures managed with Ilizarov fixation at various stages of treatment. The results showed that the density of the cortical plate of the intact tibia in patients with tibial fractures had topographic differences. It was greater in the diaphysis region that in the metaphysis (p < 0.01). Total density values of the cortical plate differed from the indices in the middle zone, in the lateral and medial parts. The density of the cortical plate in patients with tibial fractures decreased both in the intact and in the injured limb during treatment, but fluctuations of density did not exceed 150-200 HU. Conclusion The method of multislice computed tomography enables a dynamic study of cortical plate density and degree of its restructuring during treatment of fractures to solve the issue of fixation and rehabilitation period duration.