Intramedullary Nail Fixation of Intra-articular and Extra-articular Proximal Tibia Fractures

Recent studies suggest advantages to intramedullary nailing (IMN) of extra-articular proximal tibia fractures compared to plating. To our knowledge, no studies have evaluated IMN treatment of proximal tibia fractures with simple articular extension. We sought to compare rate of reoperation, malalignment, and patient-reported outcomes in patients with intra-articular versus extra-articular proximal tibia fractures treated via IMN. This retrospective cohort study compared patients that underwent IMN of extra-articular proximal tibia fractures (AO/OTA 41A2 and A3; n = 33) to simple intra-articular fractures (AO/OTA 41C1 and C2; n = 20) with minimum 12-month follow-up. With the numbers available, no significant differences were detected between the extra- and intra-articular groups for unplanned reoperation (9/33 vs. 2/20, p = 0.18), infection (4/33 vs. 1/20, p = 0.64), nonunion (4/33 vs. 2/20, p > 0.99), or malunion (5/30 vs. 3/19, p > 0.99). IMN of simple intra-articular proximal tibial fractures is a reasonable treatment strategy that may be desirable in certain clinical situations. (Journal of Surgical Orthopaedic Advances 30(1):055–060, 2021)

Key words: fracture, tibia plateau, proximal tibia, intramedullary nail; PROMIS, AO/OTA 41C