Retrograde Intramedullary Kirschner Wire Fixation as an Alternative for Treating Distal Fibular Shaft Fractures Combined with Distal Tibial Pilon Fractures

Treatment or management techniques for pilon fractures are associated with high complication rates and poor outcomes. No consensus exists regarding the optimal surgical option for pilon fractures, especially for pilon fractures combined with distal fibular fractures. Accordingly, we explored the use of fibular fixation for treating pilon fractures involving distal fibular shaft fractures. We hypothesized that retrograde intramedullary Kirschner wire (K-wire) fixation is a suitable alternative technique for distal fibular fixation. We retrospectively reviewed the data of 156 patients who underwent surgery for pilon fractures at our hospital from May 2013 to May 2021. The radiographic and functional outcomes were comparable between the fibular intramedullary nailing (Group A; n = 80) and the fibular plating (Group B; n = 76) groups. Groups A and B differed significantly in total hospitalization time (11.4 vs. 18.2 days, p = 0.024), length of postoperative admission (6.8 vs. 11.4 days, p = 0.012), and total admission cost (USD 3624 vs. USD 6145, p = 0.004). We also noted that poor Olerud and Molander ankle scores were significantly associated with age (p = 0.008), smoking (p = 0.012), and preoperative admission length (p = 0.018). Retrograde intramedullary K-wire fixation produced a comparable 12-month functional outcome to plate fixation for distal fibular shaft fractures, rendering it a viable alternative method based on soft tissue condition.

Automated summary

Treatment options for pilon fractures have high complication rates and poor outcomes. This study compared the use of fibular intramedullary nailing and fibular plating for pilon fractures and found comparable radiographic and functional outcomes between the two groups. However, the fibular intramedullary nailing group had significantly shorter total hospitalization time, length of postoperative admission, and lower total admission cost compared to the fibular plating group.