Application of one-third tubular steel plates and screws for fixation of medial column in pilon fractures

BACKGROUND: The present study sought to explore the efficacy of one-third tubular steel plates and screws for the treatment of medial column of pilon fractures. METHODS: The present retrospective study comprised 40 subjects with Rüedi-Allgöwer type III pilon fractures that attended Northern Jiangsu People’s Hospital from April 2016 to April 2019. Patients were assigned to 2 groups based on reconstruction and fixation components used on the medial column. The medial column of participants in the control group (n=20) was anchored using screws. The medial column for subjects in the treatment group (n=20) was reconstructed using a one-third tubular steel plate. The American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) ankle-hindfoot score at 1, 2, 3, 6, 12 and 24 months after operation, intraoperative blood loss, fracture healing time, preoperative detumescence duration, operation time, postoperative weightbearing duration, and postoperative Burwell-Charnley radiological score of the 2 groups were compared. RESULTS: The findings showed that intraoperative blood loss, preoperative detumescence time, and operation time for the treatment group were not statistically different relative to the control group (P>0.05). The fracture healing time and postoperative weightbearing time in the treatment group were 15.07±0.98 weeks and 6.91±0.61 weeks, respectively, while those in the control group were 15.84±0.59 weeks and 8.60±0.53 weeks, respectively (P<0.05). Patients in the treatment group showed markedly higher AOFAS scores relative to the AOFAS scores of subjects in the control group at month 1, 2, and 3 post-operation (P<0.05). AOFAS scores for the 2 groups were not significantly different at month 6, 12 and 24 post-operation. Subjects in the control group had a significantly lower Burwell-Charnley number radiology score relative to that of subjects in the treatment group (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The present findings show that the medial column of subjects with Rüedi-Allgöwer type III pilon fracture can be repaired using a one-third tubular steel plate. Compared with simple screw fixation, the use of a one-third tubular steel plate allows earlier postoperative weightbearing, decreases the rate of postoperative reduction loss, and leads to better clinical effects and prognosis.