Anterior knee pain after unreamed intramedullary nailing of the Tibia

Dr. Chetan  V. Nagrecha

Volume : VI, Issue : I, January - 2016

Anterior knee pain after unreamed intramedullary nailing of the Tibia

Dr. Chetan V. Nagrecha

Abstract :

BACKGROUND: Tibial shaft fracture is the most common type of long bone fractures, and intramedullary nailing is the treatment of choice. Anterior knee pain (AKP) is the most common complication of tibial nailing. The exact etiology of AKP is unknown, and the reported incidence is between 10–86%. Since many activities of daily living of Indians need kneeling and squatting, knee pain can effectively limit these activities. We decided to evaluate knee pain in patients with tibial shaft fractures treated with unreamed intramedullary nailing in our hospital. METHODS: We evaluated 60 patients between 20– 65 year old with tibial shaft fractures treated with intramedullary nailing from 2013 to 2014 with six months follow up period. RESULTS: According to visual analogue scale (0–10), 35 (58.8%) patients had no pain. Anterior knee pain was mild in 14 (23.3%) cases; 9 (15%) cases had moderate pain, and 2 patient (3.33%) experienced severe pain. The most severe pain was felt in kneeling position and the mildest pain was felt in resting position. CONCLUSION: The incidence of moderate to severe AKP in patients who had intramedullary nailing for tibial shaft fractures was relatively low.