title: Closed femoral shortening.
abstract: Eighteen patients underwent closed intramedullary femoral shortening at a children's teaching hospital. Their average age was 16 years 2 months (range 14-18 years). Clinical and radiographic union was obtained in < or = 3 months in all patients. Shortening averaged 4.4 cm (range 3-5 cm). Complications included one case of acute respiratory distress and three cases of fixation loss. We describe the procedure for closed intramedullary rodding without use of a fracture table and recommend (a) that reaming proceed slowly through an enlarged proximal portal, and (b) that in all cases nails be interlocked both proximally and distally.
authors.affiliation: University of Texas Medical School, Houston.
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Sasso
authors.forename: B A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Urquhart
authors.forename: T E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Cain
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001858:Bone Nails; D005260:Female; D005269:Femur / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007870:Leg Length Inequality / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D010027:Osteotomy / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D011859:Radiography