Use of flexible intramedullary nail fixation in treating femur fractures in children.

Michael Khazzam, Channing Tassone, Xue C. Liu, Roger Lyon, Brian Freeto, Jeffery Schwab, John Thometz

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

33 Scopus citations

Abstract

We evaluated use of flexible intramedullary nails in the surgical treatment of femoral shaft fractures in 135 children (138 fractures). Mean age was 9.7 years (range, 2-17 years). Mean follow-up was 15.6 months (range, 6.6-53.5 months). Seventy-two patients were treated with stainless-steel (Ender) nails and 66 with titanium elastic nails. There were 73 midshaft fractures, 48 proximal-third fractures, and 17 distal-third fractures. Fracture patterns were transverse (66), oblique (42), spiral (24), and comminuted (6). There were 16 complications--3 refractures, 2 delayed unions, 3 varus or valgus malalignments, 5 nail-tip irritations, 2 broken interlocking screws (found incidentally on radiographs), and 1 asymptomatic proximal nail migration--for a complication rate of 11.7%. These results demonstrate that use of flexible intramedullary nails in the treatment of femoral shaft fractures in children is successful regardless of patient age, fracture location, or fracture pattern.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)E49-55
JournalAmerican journal of orthopedics (Belle Mead, N.J.)
Volume38
Issue number3
StatePublished - Mar 2009

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Medicine

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