title: A comparison of the Brooker-Wills and Russell-Taylor nails for treatment of patients who have fractures of the femoral shaft.
abstract: Seventy-three fractures of the femoral shaft (seventy patients) were randomized to treatment with interlocked nailing with either the Brooker-Wills femoral nail (thirty-nine fractures) or the Russell-Taylor femoral nail (thirty-four fractures). Sixty-one patients (sixty-four fractures) were prospectively followed from admission until healing of the fracture. Specific attention was paid to recording operative details, including technical difficulties associated with insertion of the nails. Technical difficulties were encountered in insertion of the proximal screw, distal screw, and nail, and in deployment of the fins. Insertion of the Russell-Taylor nail was associated with less technical difficulty, operative time, and estimated loss of blood. The two nails differ in their biomechanical properties, methods of fixation, and instrumentation. These differences did not affect the clinical outcome; the fractures in both groups of patients healed with excellent functional results.
authors.affiliation: Division of Orthopedic Surgery, Medical College of Virginia/Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond 23298.
authors.forename: K D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Blumberg
authors.forename: W C
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Foster
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Blumberg
authors.forename: R S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Adelaar
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Deblois
authors.forename: R W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Hussey
authors.forename: T P
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Loughran
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Cardea
mesh_terms: D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D001858:Bone Nails; D005264:Femoral Fractures / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005593:Fracture Fixation, Internal / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000295:instrumentation*; D006801:Humans; D007719:Knee Joint / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D009999:Ossification, Heterotopic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011859:Radiography; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012086:Reoperation; D012399:Rotation