Intramedullary Nailing vs Plate Fixation of the Fibula in the Setting of Distal Tibial Fractures Requiring ORIF: National Readmissions Database Propensity Score-Matched Analysis

CONCLUSION: In patients undergoing tibial ORIF for distal tibial fractures, adjunctive fibular IM nailing is associated with fewer wound-related complications and infections compared with plate fixation, without compromising union or readmission rates. IM nailing may be a lower-morbidity alternative for selected patients, pending prospective studies that incorporate fracture morphology and functional outcomes.