Abstract:[Objective] To compare the clinical efficacy of suprapatellar intramedullary nailing (IMN) versus percutaneous plate (PP) fixation for distal one third tibial fractures. [Methods] A retrospective study was conducted on 78 patients who underwent surgical treatment for distal 1/3 tibial fractures in our hospital from January 2019 to December 2022. According to the doctor-patient communication, 38 patients received IMN, while other 40 patients underwent PP. The perioperative, follow-up and imaging data of the two groups were compared. [Results] Although there were no statistically significant differences in the operation time, total incision length, intraoperative blood loss, fibular fixation and the number of intraoperative fluoroscopy between the two groups (P>0.05), the IMN group proved significantly superior to the PP group in terms of ambulation time [days, (2.1±0.9) vs (3.4±1.0), P<0.001], incision healing grade [A/B/C, (37/0/1) vs (32/5/ 3), P=0.020] and hospital stay [days, (8.9±1.4) vs (9.8±1.9), P=0.019]. All patients were followed up for more than 12 months, and the IMN group resumed full weight-bearing activity significantly earlier than the PP group [days, (72.2±11.8) vs (87.2±10.8), P<0.001]. The pain VAS, Lysholm and AOFAS scores, as well as knee ROM and ankle ROM were significantly improved over time in both groups (P<0.05). At the last follow-up, there was no statistically significant difference in the above items between the two groups (P>0.05). As for imaging, there was no statistically significant difference in the leg length discrepency and the lateral distal tibial angle (LDTA) at the last follow-up between the two groups (P>0.05). The IMN group had significantly smaller anterior distal tibial angle (ADTA) than the PP group [°, (79.3±2.7) vs (80.7±2.8), P=0.033], while the former got fracture healed significantly earlier than the PP group (P<0.05). [Conclusion] Both suprapatel-lar intramedullary nailing and percutaneous plate do achieve good therapeutic effects for the distal 1/3 fracture of the tibia. By comparison, the percutaneous plates have no interference with the knee, while suprapatellar intramedullary nailing achieves earlier weight-bearing time, faster fracture healing, and a lower incidence of soft tissue complications. Clinically, the two internal fixation techniques should be selected based on specific conditions.