Donald A. Wiss

Ipsilateral Fractures of the Femoral Neck and Shaft

Summary Thirty-three patients with ipsilateral intracapsular femoral neck and shaft fractures were treated with antegrade reamed intramedullary (IM) nails and cancellous screw fixation of the femoral neck. The shaft fractures were fixed prior to definitive neck stabilization. A “reversed” nail construct was used in 13 patients, a conventional interlocked nail was used in 6, and a reconstruction nail was used in the remaining 14. Thirty-one (94%) of the femoral shaft fractures healed primarily. In two patients, the shaft fracture failed to unite and was bone grafted and plated, respectively; the fractures subsequently healed. However, only 27 (82%) of the femoral neck fractures healed after initial fixation. In six patients (18%), a symptomatic varus nonunion developed, requiring a valgus osteotomy. Five of the six femoral neck non-unions and all of the osteotomy sites united; however, two of these patients later developed osteonecrosis of their femoral heads. Closed reamed antegrade IM nailing with supplemental screw fixation of ipsilateral femoral neck and shaft fractures did not produce uniformly successful results because of high rates of varus nonunion of the femoral neck fracture.

Interlocked nailing for treatment of segmental fractures of the femur.

Thirty-three segmental fractures of the shaft of the femur were treated with the Grosse-Kempf interlocking nail. Twenty-eight of the fractures had been caused by high-energy trauma. There were twenty-six closed and seven open fractures. Thirty-two of the thirty-three fractures united, at an average of thirty-two weeks, without additional intervention other than dynamization of the nail. There were one non-union, one delayed union, and two malunions. Virtually all fractures located between the lesser trochanter and the femoral condyles can be nailed, regardless of the pattern of the fracture or the degree of comminution. Closed interlocked nailing is the treatment of choice for most segmental fractures of the shaft of the femur.

Unstable fractures of the tibia treated with a reamed intramedullary interlocking nail.

One hundred thirty-four acute unstable fractures of the tibia were treated with a reamed intramedullary nail with locking capabilities. There were 101 closed and 33 open fractures (20 Grade 1 fractures, 12 Grade 2 fractures, and 1 fracture from a gunshot wound). Patients were seen in followup for an average of 16 months after nailing. The time to fracture union averaged 28 weeks in closed fractures and 39 weeks in open fractures. Delayed union (> 6 months) developed in 14 fractures (8%): 11 closed (11%) and 3 open (9%) fractures. Eleven of the 14 delayed unions healed spontaneously, or after dynamization of statistically locked nails. Seven fractures (5%) were not healed by 9 months and were classified as nonunion (2 closed, 5 open). All fractures required major additional procedures to obtain union. Infection developed in 13 fractures (10%). In closed fractures, there were 2 superficial (2%) and 3 deep (3%) infections; in open fractures there was 1 superficial (3%) and 7 deep (21%) infections. The authors conclude that reamed intramedullary nails should be restricted to unstable, closed tibial shaft fractures. Its use in open fractures even on a delayed basis cannot be recommended because of unacceptably high infection rates.

Subtrochanteric femur fractures: a comparison of the Zickel nail, 95 degrees blade plate, and interlocking nail.

Seventy-nine nonconsecutive patients with subtrochanteric femur fractures were divided into three groups based on the method of fracture fixation. Group I consisted of 21 patients treated with a Zickel nail, Group II comprised 25 patients treated with a 95 degrees blade plate, and Group III included 33 patients treated with an interlocking nail. All patients in Group I and Group II had open reduction and internal fixation of their fractures. Ninety-four percent of the patients in Group III were treated by closed intramedullary nailing. The average operating times for Groups I, II, and III were 212, 272, and 181 min, respectively, while blood loss averaged 900, 1,500, and 600 ml for each group, respectively. Group I had one infection, ten malunions, and one nonunion. Group II had one infection, six malunions, and two nonunions. Group III had no infections, two malunions, and one nonunion. We conclude that closed interlocking nailing is the treatment of choice for acute nonpathologic subtrochanteric femur fractures in adults. There is decreased blood loss, reduced operating time, and fewer complications than with either the Zickel nail or the 95 degrees blade plate regardless of the fracture pattern or the degree of fracture comminution.

Interlocking nailing for the treatment of femoral fractures due to gunshot wounds.

Fifty-six patients who had a fracture of the femur due to a low-velocity gunshot injury were treated with interlocking nailing with the Grosse-Kempf nail. Patients who had an isolated fracture were treated by intravenous administration of antibiotics followed by delayed interlocking nailing. Ninety-three per cent of the fractures had Grade-III or IV comminution. At an average duration of follow-up of sixteen months (range, twelve to twenty-nine months), the results of closed interlocking nailing were excellent. All of the fractures united an average of twenty-three weeks (range, fourteen to forty weeks) after the nailing. There were no apparent infections in the entire series. There were two delayed unions and seven malunions. Five patients had a serious associated vascular injury; four of these five had interlocking nailing immediately after vascular repair. The fractures united without any residual vascular insufficiency.

Tibial Nonunion: Treatment Alternatives

&NA; Because the spectrum of injuries to the tibia is so great, no single method of treatment is applicable to all nonunions. Therefore, it is important for surgeons who treat tibial nonunions to be skilled in several different methods of treatment. In patients with significant deformities, electrical stimulation, isolated fibular osteotomy, and bone grafts alone are unsatisfactory treatment options. In aseptic nonunions, the use of intramedullary nailing or compression plating appears to have many advantages. In previously closed and selected grade I and grade II open fractures, reamed intramedullary nailing is a safe and effective method of treatment. Because of the risk of infection, reamed nailing is not recommended after external fixation of open fractures. In these cases as well as others, the authors prefer plate osteosynthesis. With few exceptions, the plate should be placed, under tension, on the convex side of the tibia. Used in this fashion, the plate can assist in correction of any deformity and can also provide stable internal fixation. Half‐pin external fixation is used primarily in the management of infected fractures. Ilizarov and other small‐wire circular fixators have proved effective in treating complex‐composite deformities associated with sepsis, bone loss, shortening, angulation, or malrotation. Amputation may be warranted if a functional limb cannot be achieved.

Nonunion of the tibia treated with a reamed intramedullary nail

Forty-seven tibial nonunions were treated with a reamed intramedullary nail. Initially, there were 14 (30%) closed and 33 (70%) open tibial fractures. The initial fracture management consisted of casts in 12 (26%) patients, Ender or Lottes nails in nine (19%), and external fixation in 26 (55%). The time from injury to nailing averaged 31.5 weeks. All but one fracture was nailed using a closed technique (98%). Twenty-six patients were initially managed with external fixation. Duration of fixation averaged 11 weeks, and the time from fixator removal to nailing averaged 24 weeks. Patients were followed for an average of 18.7 months after nailing. Forty-two of the 47 (89%) nonunions united uneventfully. Infection developed in six (13%) patients, five of which occurred in previously open fractures treated with external fixation. After one or more procedures, these nonunions consolidated without apparent infection. Reamed intramedullary nailing is a safe and effective method of treatment for tibial nonunions of previously closed fractures and prior open fractures that have been treated with Ender or Lottes nails. Because of the risk of infection, we do not recommend its use after external fixation of open fractures.

Type III fractures of the tibial tubercle in adolescents.

Fifteen patients with Type III avulsion fractures of the tibial tubercle treated surgically were reviewed at an average of 9.6 years after injury. Six patients had a history of Osgood-Schlatter disease, and two patients had Type I osteogenesis imperfecta. Associated injuries to the meniscus were found and repaired in three patients. Two of these patients had also avulsed the origin of the tibialis anterior muscle, leading to a compartment syndrome in one. All but one fracture healed. There was one refracture. Five patients developed bursitis over prominent screw heads, which required screw removal. All but two patients were asymptomatic and participated in sports. A full range of knee motion without instability was present in all patients. Thigh and calf circumferences were equal to the opposite side. Radiographs showed normal knee joints in all but one asymptomatic patient, who showed signs of an early arthrosis. No patient developed angular or recurvatum deformities. However, a leg-length discrepancy of 1.0–1.8 cm was noted in four patients (two overgrowth, two undergrowth).

Subtrochanteric fractures of the femur : results of treatment by interlocking nailing

Ninety-five subtrochanteric femoral fractures were treated with an interlocking nail. There were 69 closed and 26 open fractures. This injury was the result of high-energy trauma in 77% of the cases. The average time to healing was 25 weeks. There were three delayed unions, one nonunion, and six malunions. Essentially all nonpathologic, subtrochanteric femur fractures can be stabilized by interlocking nailing, regardless of the fracture pattern or degree of comminution. Favorable mechanical characteristics of interlocking nails have eliminated the requirement of surgically reconstituting the medial femoral cortex. Closed interlocking nailing is the preferred treatment for subtrochanteric fractures of the femur resulting from trauma.

Compression plating for non-union after failed external fixation of open tibial fractures.

Fifty non-unions of the tibia that were present in forty-nine patients after external fixation and immobilization in a cast for a high-energy fracture were subsequently treated by compression plating. Initially, there were forty-six open fractures and four closed fractures with a compartment syndrome. Twenty-two non-unions (44 per cent) had early soft-tissue reconstruction (thirteen rotational and nine free flaps). The duration of external fixation averaged ten weeks, and the mean time from injury to plating was eight months. None of the non-unions were infected at the time of plating. The average preoperative deformity in the sagittal (anterior-posterior) plane was 8 degrees and in the frontal (medial-lateral) plane, 9 degrees; after plate fixation, the residual angulation averaged 3 and 2 degrees. Autogenous bone graft was used in thirty-nine of the fifty non-unions. The patients were followed for an average of twenty-four months. Forty-six (92 per cent) of the non-unions united, in an average of seven months, without further intervention. In four patients (8 per cent), the plate broke, necessitating re-plating in three and external fixation in one (the latter patient had an infected non-union). A deep infection developed in three patients (6 per cent). Ultimately, forty-eight non-unions (96 per cent) healed without evidence of infection. Plate osteosynthesis is an effective method of treatment for patients who have had an open fracture of the tibia that has failed to unite after external fixation and immobilization in a cast.