OTA international : the open access journal of orthopaedic trauma
Radiographic union rate and predictors of nonunion after primary surgical implant generation network intramedullary nailing for open tibial shaft fractures at a major trauma center in Ethiopia
By Enquahone SA, Tekle AN, Assefa SW and 4 others.
Abstract
Objectives
Open tibial shaft fractures are a major source of morbidity in low- and middle-income countries, yet outcome data after Surgical Implant Generation Network (SIGN) intramedullary nailing (IMN) remain few. The study aimed to determine the radiographic union rate and identify predictors of nonunion after primary SIGN IMN for Gustilo-Anderson (GA) grade I through IIIA open tibial shaft fractures at a large trauma center in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Methods
A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted at AaBET Hospital, reviewing records and radiographs of patients treated between July 2016 and July 2022. Radiographic union was assessed at minimum 1 year using the Radiographic Union Scale for Tibial Fractures (RUST). Associations between clinical variables and union were analyzed with Fisher exact test, Mann-Whitney U test, and binary logistic regression.