[Treatment of Pilon fractures complicated with fractures of fibula with titanic elastic nailing].

Objective: To explore the effect of titanic elastic nailing (TEN) fixing for Pilon fractures complicated with fractures of fibula.
Methods: From March 2007 to March 2009, 20 patients with Pilon fractures complicated with fractures of fibula were surgically treated with TEN. There were 14 males and 7 females with an average age of 42.6 years ranging from 35 to 70 years. Among them, 12 cases were on the left, 8 cases were on the right.
Results: All patients were followed-up for from 6 to 23 months (averaged 11.6 months). The symptoms of all patients had primarily relieved and the patients coulde ambulate at 2 to 3 months after treatment. According to Johner-Wruhs critera, the therapeutic results were excellent in 10 cases, good in 8 cases, fair in 2 cases. No case had skin infection and skin necrosis.
Conclusion: Treatment of Pilon fractures complicated with fractures of fibula with TEN has the advantages such as less invasion, high rate of bone union and less soft tissue complication, it is a safe and effective procedure.