Effect of Smoking on the Healing of Tibial Shaft Fractures in a Rural Indian Population

Background Tibial shaft fractures account for 17% of all lower limb fractures. Nonunion and infection rates are estimated to be between 2% and 10%. Bone healing is a complex process that is influenced by biological, mechanical, and systemic factors. Adverse smoking effects on cardiovascular and respiratory systems have been well documented. An increasing interest in the effect of smoking on fracture healing following trauma has been noted in recent years. The biological consequence of smoking is relevant, especially in trauma surgery where no way of preventing presurgical smoking has been noted, hence increasing the patient’s risk of nonunion. Cigarette smoking has been shown to impair fracture union and wound healing and lead to an increased risk of fracture site infection. Smoking and high-energy trauma are considered important risk factors for the delayed union of tibial shaft fractures. Objectives This study aims to assess the adverse effects of smoking in patients with tibial shaft fractures following trauma and fracture fixation. Materials and methods A retrospective cohort study was done on 110 (55 smokers and 55 nonsmokers) patients treated with intramedullary nailing or plating for tibial shaft fractures between July 2017 and January 2021 in the hospital of the current study. Fracture healing was assessed at the end of months 1, 3, and 6 and year 1. Results The mean time of healing in smokers was >48 weeks, whereas the average time to union was 24 weeks in nonsmokers. The majority (54.6%) of smokers took >48 weeks to heal, whereas 81.8% of patients in the nonsmoking group took 24-28 weeks to heal. Conclusion Similar to the results obtained in previous studies, our study showed that smoking hinders fracture healing after surgical fixation, and smokers have a higher chance of developing surgical site infection and osteomyelitis. Smokers take a longer time for radiological union and also have a high chance of delayed union and nonunion when compared with nonsmokers, which was shown in our study and is consistent with the results obtained in previous studies. Postoperative smoking cessation is as important as preoperative smoking cessation, and patients should be strictly counseled regarding the same.