Features of the treatment process in patients with tibia fractures in the context of the COVID–19 pandemic

Objective. To analyze the distribution of patients with tibia fractures by treatment methods during the COVID–19 pandemic and determine its changes compared to the pre–COVID period. Materials and methods. The methods of treatment of 289 patients with trauma at the Kyiv City Clinical Emergency Hospital from 2019 to 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. Damage to the lower leg bones was detected in 83 (28.7%) patients. Results. During the COVID–19 pandemic, the frequency of surgical treatment of patients with proximal tibia fractures more than halved, and the frequency of conservative treatment increased more than 4 times, which is in line with global trends in the treatment of this type of injury during the pandemic. The number of patients with diaphyseal fractures of the tibia who underwent surgical treatment decreased by 1.4 times. Conservative methods of treatment were prioritized, as evidenced by a 3.7–fold increase in the frequency of this type of treatment compared to the period before the pandemic. In patients with fractures of the distal tibia, surgical treatment was used 2.5 times less often than in the period before the pandemic. The opposite trend was observed in relation to conservative treatment methods: the number of patients who received such treatment increased 4 times. Conclusions. During the COVID–19 pandemic, the number of patients with traumatic injuries of the lower leg, including all localizations except for the ankles, significantly decreased, with more patients having such injuries during this period. Epidemic restrictions and mechanisms for screening patients with tibia fractures of all localizations during the COVID–19 pandemic have changed approaches to their treatment towards the wider use of conservative methods.