Intramedullary nailing of thirty acute displaced open fractures of the
tibia and fibula resulted in union with only one superficial infection. The
low incidence of sepsis is attributed to the use of the curved malleable
Hodgkinson tibial nail which requires no reaming, renders the operation
less difficult and traumatic, and interferes minimally with bone
vascularity. Fibular nailing was an effective means of stabilizing nine of
the twelve fractures close to the ankle joint.