TY - JOUR
T1 - Use of flexible intramedullary nail fixation in treating femur fractures in children.
AU - Khazzam, Michael
AU - Tassone, Channing
AU - Liu, Xue C.
AU - Lyon, Roger
AU - Freeto, Brian
AU - Schwab, Jeffery
AU - Thometz, John
PY - 2009/3
Y1 - 2009/3
N2 - 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.
AB - 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.
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M3 - Article
C2 - 19377650
AN - SCOPUS:66549113659
SN - 1078-4519
VL - 38
SP - E49-55
JO - American journal of orthopedics (Belle Mead, N.J.)
JF - American journal of orthopedics (Belle Mead, N.J.)
IS - 3
ER -