Management of Open Tibial Diaphyseal Fractures by Limb Reconstruction System As Primary and Definitive Treatment: A Prospective Cohort Study

Background One of the most frequent long bone fractures that most orthopaedic surgeons see is a tibial diaphyseal fracture. The tibia has more open fractures than any other major long bone because it is covered by skin for the majority of its length. The best course of therapy is still up for debate due to the high occurrence of comorbidities linked to these fractures. Materials and methods In this prospective study, 30 patients who met the inclusion criteria were admitted to the Department of Orthopaedics of Shri B. M. Patil Medical College Hospital and Research Centre, Vijayapura, Karnataka, India. The period of study was from January 2021 to May 2022. The patients were followed up for a period of six months. Longer follow-up was required for some patients. Results In our study, there were 26 (86.7%) male and four (13.3%) female patients. The mode of injury was road traffic accidents in all cases. The functional outcomes obtained using the modified Anderson and Hutchinson's criteria were good results in 22 (73.3%), moderate results in five (16.7%), and poor results in three (10%) of the study population. Pin tract infections (six cases; 20%) and shortening (eight cases; 26.7%) were the most frequent complications Conclusion Because of the ease of use, good fracture stability, adjustable geometry, light weight, reasonable price, and patient friendliness, the limb reconstruction system (LRS) provides an excellent alternative treatment option for treating compound fractures of the tibia.