Hybrid external fixator with or without minimal internal fixation: effective alternative for proximal tibia fractures, review of 25 cases

Background: Open or minimally invasive plating is the most commonly used surgical method to treat proximal tibia fractures. However unhealthy soft tissue or unusual fracture anatomy at times force a surgeon to look for alternative surgical methods.

Materials and Methods: The study was conducted between January 2014 to December 2017. 25 patients were operated for proximal tibia fractures using a hybrid external fixator in a single institute and results evaluated.

Results: By the end of 1 year after surgery Rasmussen score as excellent in 16, good in 6, fair in 3 and poor in 0 patients. The mean range of knee motion at the final follow up was 4 to 120. 2 cases of varus malunion and case of nonunion were observed in our study.

Conclusion: Hybrid external fixator is a viable and effective alternative to conventional locked plates in selected patients.