A Prospective Comparative Study of Both Bone Forearm Fracture in Patients above Twelve Years of Age Treated with Dynamic Compression Plating and Intramedullary Nailing at a Tertiary Care Hospital in Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh

Abstract

BACKGROUND The incidence of forearm fractures is increasing faster than the usual predicted rate due to rapid industrialization, increased incidence of motor vehicle accident and various sports activities and increase in the incidence of fall and direct blow. For pronation and supination to occur, the maintenance of interosseous space becomes mandatory while fixing the fractures involving radius and ulna.1 Both bone forearm fractures are not uncommon. Healing occurs reliably after closed treatment but malunion with resultant decreased rotation of the forearm is common and has been associated with poor results.2,3 The purpose of this study was to analyse functional outcome of both bone forearm fracture in patients above 12 years of age treated with dynamic compression plating and intramedullary nailing. METHODS This is a prospective comparative study of 30 cases of diaphyseal fracture of both bones of forearm who attended casualty and out-patient department (OPD) of Government General Hospital, Kurnool and were treated by surgical fixation with dynamic compression plating and intramedullary nailing between November 2018 to November 2020. RESULTS The functional outcome as per modified grace eversmann scoring system in dynamic compression plating (DCP) group was that 80 % (12 patients) had excellent results, 20 % (3 patients) had good results with no patient having fair and poor results. In the intramedullary nailing (IMN) group, 66.7 % (10 patients) had excellent results, 13.3 % (2 patients) had good results, 13.3 % (2 patients) had fair results and 6.7 % (1 patient) had poor result. CONCLUSIONS Even though plate osteosynthesis is still the most commonly used form of fixation in both bone forearm fractures, titanium elastic nail and intramedullary nail fixation are relatively newer techniques which offer viable and more efficient alternative especially in fixation of fractures involving shafts of radius and ulna. KEY WORDS Intramedullary Nailing, Titanium Elastic Nailing, Dynamic Compression Plating