Clinical results of treating patients with compound lower leg fractures

Management of patients with open diaphyseal fractures of the lower leg remains an urgent problem in traumatology and orthopedics. The aim of the study is to improve the results of surgical treatment of patients with open lower leg injuries by means of disease management. Materials and methods. The study under consideration was both retrospective and prospective. It included 67 patients with open lower leg injuries. The patients were divided into 3 groups depending on the fracture type and treatment modality. Results. The two-stage modality of surgical treatment of open lower leg fractures (types 1 and 2) made it possible to significantly shorten the time frame compared to the period of treatment in patients with open lower leg fractures with installation of the external fixator. Active surgical modelling of the open diaphyseal fractures of the lower leg reduced the purulent complications from 60 % to 11 %. Conclusion. In the case of an open lower leg fracture (type 1 ) blocking internal fixation is desirable, whereas in the case of open lower leg fractures (types 2, 3A and 3B) external fixation is preferable. In patients with open injuries (types 2 and 3A) two-stage fixation of bone fragments using external fixation with subsequent transition to internal one can be suggested.