External Fixation of Tibial Shaft Fractures in Cameroon-Central Africa

Introduction: Open Tibial Shaft Fractures (TSF) are the most commonly encountered injury type in Cameroon. External fixation, relatively unfamiliar in Cameroon, helps prevent its complications. Objectives: The objective of this study was to evaluate the outcomes of the treatment of TSF using external fixation in Cameroon. Materials and Methods: Patients operated at Laquintinie and Edea Regional Hospital (ERH) with an external fixator (EF) for TSF were followed up from 2018 to 2022. Circumstances of the trauma, anatomo-clinical lesions, types of management, complications, and duration of fixator maintenance were assessed. Results: 161 EFs were placed on 144 patients. Of these, 93 (64.6%) were aged between 20 and 49 years with a sex ratio of 2.5/1. Motorcycle crashes were involved in 68.2% of patients. The fracture involved the middle third in 61 patients (37.9%). It was oblique in 57 patients (35.4%). The injuries were open in 126 (78.3%) cases. The average length of hospital stay was 36.2 days. 122 fractures (75.8%) healed within the expected time, and 21 cases (13.0%) of delayed union were observed. Bone infection was noted in 24 patients (14.9%). The outcome was deemed excellent and good in 122 cases (84.8%). Conclusion: External fixation is effective in managing TSF and is recommended for wider use in Cameroon.