Comparison between ender and unreamed interlocking nails in tibial shaft fractures

OBJECTIVE: To compare ender nails and unreamed interlocking nails in a randomized clinical trial study.

METHODS: From March 2001 to March 2003, 131 patients with tibial fractures of the central two thirds of the tibia were admitted to the emergency ward of Shohada Hospital, Tabriz, Iran and were randomized to either an ender tibial nail or an undreamed interlocking tibial nail as their primary treatment. Age, gender, types of fracture, and surgical outcomes were recorded at the time of surgery, during hospital stay, and during the course of 9 months follow-up.

RESULTS: Sixty-seven patients underwent surgery with interlocking nails and 64 with ender nails. No statistically significant difference was found between the 2 groups concerning mal-union, delayed union, and device failure. Durations of hospital stay, and time needed to achieve union was significantly higher in the unreamed interlocking group. Non-union and infection rate were higher in the ender group (p<0.05).

CONCLUSION: The results of our study support those of other studies that indicate the choice between the 2 methods of unreamed nailing is mainly controversial, depending on the priorities of the patient and surgeon.