This paper is only available as a PDF. To read, Please Download here.
Abstract
Disuse osteoporosis following tibial fractures is associated with pain and prolonged
rehabilitation. In a prospective study, 22 patients with stable tibial fractures treated
in plaster of Paris were compared with 15 patients in whom unstable tibial fractures
were treated by external fixation. All patients were allowed to bear full weight from
the day after the injury. The patients treated with plaster of Paris had the less
severe fractures but still had a greater number of the higher grades of osteoporosis.
We found a significantly lower degree of osteoporosis in the external fixator group.
A comparison of the median percentage bearing weight in the two groups of patients
showed greater percentage bearing weight in the external fixator group at four and
eight weeks after the injury. We suggest that the reduction of post-traumatic osteoporosis
is due to improved early function and weight bearing in patients treated by external
fixation.
To read this article in full you will need to make a payment
Purchase one-time access:
Academic & Personal: 24 hour online accessCorporate R&D Professionals: 24 hour online accessOne-time access price info
- For academic or personal research use, select 'Academic and Personal'
- For corporate R&D use, select 'Corporate R&D Professionals'
Subscribe:
Subscribe to InjuryAlready a print subscriber? Claim online access
Already an online subscriber? Sign in
Register: Create an account
Institutional Access: Sign in to ScienceDirect
References
- Radiological appearances of disuse osteoporosis.Clin Radiol. 1969; 20: 345
- Post-traumatic osteoporosis and algodystrophy after external fixation of tibial fractures.Injury. 1993; 24: 411
- Regional osteoporosis.Orthop Clin North Am. 1972; 3: 585
- Resnick D Niwayama G Diagnosis of Bone and Joint Disorders. 2nd Ed. W. B. Saunders, Philadelphia1988: 2022
- Prevention of infection in the treatment of one thousand and twenty-five open fractures of long bones — retrospective and prospective analyses.J Bone Joint Surg [Am]. 1976; 58A: 453
- A coefficient of agreement for nominal scales.Educ Psychol Meas. 1960; 20: 37
Feist JH. The biological basis of radiological findings in bone disease. Recognition and interpretation of abnormal bone architecture. Radiol Clin N Am 8: ????
- Post-traumatic osteopenia. A quantitative study of the bone mineral mass in the femur following tracture of the tibia in man using americium-241 as a photon source.Acta Orthop Scand. 1966; (Suppl.): 91
- Osteopenia after ankle fractures. The influence of early weight bearing and muscle activity.Clin Orthop. 1989; 245: 261
- The roentgen appearance of osteoporosis.Radiol Clin North Am. 1964; 2: 191
- Fractures after regional disuse osteoporosis.J Orthop Rheumatol. 1992; 5: 233
- Quantification by dual photonabsorptiometry of local bone loss after fracture.Clin Orthop. 1990; 250: 291
- The role of the vessels in osteogenesis.J Bone Joint Surg [Br]. 1963; 45B: 402
- Vascular influence on patterns of deossification.Arthritis Rheum. 1982; 25: 333
- Pathological changes in bones and joints induced by injury.Br Med J. 1936; ii: 657
- Acute transverse bone atrophy.J Bone Joint Surg. 1936; 18: 659
- The osteoporosis of immobilisation in recumbency.J Bone Joint Surg [Br]. 1952; 34B: 256
Article info
Publication history
Accepted:
April 14,
1995
Identification
Copyright
© 1995 Published by Elsevier Inc.
