Evaluation of Complication Rate of Insertion Of Bridging External Fixator in Periarticular Comminuted or Open Fracture of Knee and Ankle

The open fractures of femur and leg are among the common fractures of orthopaedic injuries. Utilization of external fixator has worldwide acceptance. Pin tract infection, neurovascular injuries, compartment syndrome are among some of the complications of external fixator application. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the complications and treatment pitfalls of external fixator insertion.
In a clinical trial study, 140 patients with comminuted periarticular fracture of knee and ankle were studied in a one-year period. One day after surgery, the neurovascular status was documented and when patients referred for exchange of external fixator, the pin tract infection was recorded. The final data were analyzed by statistical methods.
The rate of infection was 52%. The rate of neurovascular injury was 6%. The rate of compartment syndrome and vascular injury was zero and the rate of tendon injury was 5.7%. In comparison between pin tract infection and neurovascular injuries and tendon injury in open and comminuted close fracture only the injury of nerve has significant differences (p=.049).
External fixator placement for open or comminuted fractures of knee area and leg is associated with high rate of pin tract infection, but neurovascular injury and muscle/tendon damage or compartment syndrome are very infrequent.