title: Experience with the use of a Vitrathene brace in the treatment of femoral shaft fractures.
abstract: Sixty consecutive unselected fractures of the femoral shaft have been treated in a Vitrathene brace lined with Plastazote. All fractures were united at an average of 16 weeks with little shortening. The patients were in hospital for an average of 8 weeks and obtained and average of 115 degrees of knee flexion at 6 months after the original injury. To avoid angulation in fractures of the middle and upper thirds of the shaft a pelvic band with the hinge in abduction is necessary. Four other patients referred for treatment, who had delayed union of their fractures, were braced for between 5 and 12 months and all united. The method appears successful and merits further trial. Weight-bearing characteristics of the brace were studied and it was found that 20 per cent of the axial force passed through the brace and 80 per cent through the soft tissues and fracture site.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001915:Braces / Q000009:adverse effects; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005264:Femoral Fractures / Q000628:therapy*; D005596:Fractures, Closed / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014143:Traction