• Jonathan David May, Thumri Paavana, Jonathan McGregor-Riley, and Simon Royston.
• Sheffield Teaching Hospitals, Herries Road, Sheffield, South Yorkshire S5 7AU, United Kingdom. Electronic address: jonathanmay@doctors.org.uk.
• Injury. 2017 Jul 1; 48 (7): 1613-1615.

ObjectivesTo review the outcomes of patients treated with the Ilizarov method for an isolated, closed, simple diaphyseal, Tibial fracture at our institution over the last decade.MethodsThe Ilizarov frame database was used to identify 76 skeletally mature patients who sustained an isolated, closed, extra-articular, simple, diaphyseal Tibial fracture; the injury also known as a "nail-able Tibial fracture."ResultsThe average age of the patient was 38 (17-70). All 76 patients progressed to union. The average time until union was 148 (55-398) days. The coronal and sagittal alignment was 3° (0-17°) and 4° (0-14°) respectively. No patient suffered from compartment syndrome. No patient developed septic arthritis. No patient had documented anterior knee pain or secondary knee specialist input post frame removal. On average, there were 9(4-29) follow up appointments and 10(5-26) radiographs post frame application. There is a 59% chance of a patient having a difficulty post frame application. The malunion rate was 5%. Persisting pinsite infection post frame removal occurred in 5 patients (6.5%). Drilling of the pinsite sequestrum resolved the infection in four of these patients, giving a deep infection rate of 1.3%.ConclusionsThe Ilizarov method has a role to play in the treatment of simple closed Tibial shaft fractures in patients who need to kneel. Patient education is a priority however; the patient must be made aware of the difficulty rate associated with the Ilizarov method when compared to the complication profile of alternative treatments.Crown Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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