What Would be the Difference Between Operative Treatment of Patients with Tibia Fractures out of Working Hours; Intramedullary Nailing for Tibial Shaft Fractures

Mehmet Selcuk Saygili; Ali Cagri Tekin; Tugrul Ergun; Baris Ozkul; Deniz Akbulut; Mustafa Alper Incesoy; Bilal Demir

doi:10.14744/SEMB.2022.11129

What Would be the Difference Between Operative Treatment of Patients with Tibia Fractures out of Working Hours; Intramedullary Nailing for Tibial Shaft Fractures

Sisli Etfal Hastan Tip Bul. 2023 Mar 21;57(1):118-123. doi: 10.14744/SEMB.2022.11129. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Mehmet Selcuk Saygili¹, Ali Cagri Tekin¹, Tugrul Ergun², Baris Ozkul³, Deniz Akbulut⁴, Mustafa Alper Incesoy⁵, Bilal Demir³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Prof. Dr. Cemil Taşçıoğlu City Hospital, İstanbul, Türkiye.
² Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, İstinye University Faculty of Medicine, İstanbul, Türkiye.
³ Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Üniversity of Health Sciences Türkiye, Metin Sabanci Baltalimani Bone Diseases Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Türkiye.
⁴ Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Van Akdamar Hospital, Van, Türkiye.
⁵ Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, University of Health Sciences Türkiye, Adiyaman Training and Research Hospital, Adiyaman, Türkiye.

Abstract

Objectives: Performing orthopedic surgery in and out of working hours may affect the success of the surgery. Timing of surgery in tibial shaft fractures is controversial. In this study, the effect of the timing of surgery on the success and complications of intramedullary nailing of tibial fractures is examined.

Methods: Archieves of patients with tibial shaft fractures treated with reamed intramedullary nails between 2010 and 2016 were retrospectively analyzed. Fifty-seven patients were included in the study. Patients were categorized by the time of the surgery. Day time (Group I) is between 7:00 am and 5:00 pm and after hour (Group II) is between 5:00 pm and 07:00 am. Group I (n: 40) and Group II (n: 17) were evaluated. Technical errors, surgery time, and length of hospital stay statistical analysis was performed between the two groups in terms of technical errors, complication rates, length of hospital stay, and duration of surgery.

Results: The mean duration of operation (p=0.419), number of distal screws (p=0.847), time to union (p=0.454), experience of the surgeon (p=0.192), and technical error rate (p=0.654) did not differ significantly between two groups. Length of hospital stay and time to surgery from emergency were significantly higher in day time group.

Conclusion: Technical errors and surgery time of intramedullary nailing of tibial shaft fractures are not higher at after hour before midnight than day time. Non-urgent tibial shaft fractures might be treated with intramedullary nailing at after hours before midnight for efficient use of hospitals.

Keywords: Intramedullary nailing; Tibial shaft fracture; Time of day; Time of surgery.