title: Locked flexible intramedullary nails in treatment of unstable femoral fractures.
abstract: Twenty patients with unstable femoral fractures were treated with distally locked flexible intramedullary nails. We present our surgical technique and our results. The method has the following advantages: it prevents rotational malalignment and shortening, it is a closed procedure, no reaming is necessary, there is no increase in c-arm time, and there is minimal increase in operative time. Locked flexible intramedullary nails should be used in patients with unstable femoral fractures who have dense metaphyseal bone. Osteopoenia is a contraindication to this method as it increases the risk of nail penetration into the hip.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001858:Bone Nails; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D005264:Femoral Fractures / Q000601:surgery*; D005594:Fracture Fixation, Intramedullary / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007717:Knee / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013997:Time Factors