ArticleJournal of orthopaedic case reports2025
Functional Outcome of Distal Third Tibial Fractures Treated by Posterior versus Medial Plating - A Prospective Comparative Study.
Article in Journal of orthopaedic case reports, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- Comparative outcomes of medial and lateral plating for distal third tibial fractures: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Journal of clinical orthopaedics and trauma · 2026Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Introduction: Distal third tibial fractures pose a unique surgical challenge due to minimal soft-tissue coverage, subcutaneous bone location, and high risk of malalignment or delayed union. Among internal fixation options, posterior and medial plating are widely practiced, but comparative evidence regarding early functional recovery and radiological alignment remains limited. Materials and Methods: This prospective randomized study included 36 adults with Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Osteosynthesefragen/Orthopedic Trauma Association Type A and B distal third tibial fractures treated by either posterior plating (n = 18) or medial plating (n = 18) using 3.5 mm locking compression plates. Standardized perioperative care and identical rehabilitation protocols were applied. Functional outcomes were assessed using the American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) Ankle-Hindfoot Score at 2, 4, and 8 weeks. Radiological alignment and union were evaluated at 2, 4, 8 weeks, and 6 months. Statistical analysis was performed using unpaired t-tests and Chi-square tests with significance at P < 0.05. Results: The mean participant age was 42.5 ± 12.3 years, with an equal male-to-female ratio. Posterior plating demonstrated significantly higher AOFAS scores at 2 weeks (66.5 ± 2.33 vs. 64.7 ± 2.34; P = 0.029) and at 8 weeks (87.6 ± 2.50 vs. 85.0 ± 2.49; P = 0.004), suggesting faster early functional recovery. Radiographically, 94.4% of posterior-plated fractures achieved acceptable alignment compared with 77.8% in the medial group. All fractures united by 6 months, and no non-union or implant failure occurred. Superficial wound irritation occurred in two medial cases only. Conclusion: Posterior plating provides superior early function and improved alignment while maintaining the same union rate and complication profile as medial plating. These findings validate posterior plating as a safe, mechanically advantageous, and soft-tissue-friendly option for distal third tibial fractures.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.