title: Massive fat emboli syndrome after unsuccessful unreamed nailing of the tibia.
abstract: A patient is presented in whom massive fat emboli syndrome (FES) developed after the unsuccessful treatment of a solitary tibial fracture with an unreamed tibial nail. Ultimately, a reamed tibial nail was inserted. Several risk factors for the development of FES were identified retrospectively in this particular case: a very small medullary canal, a large-diameter unreamed tibial nail, reaming of a small medullary canal and insertion of a thick reamed tibial nail. Even in the presence of patients with solitary lesions and without obvious risks for FES, one should always take this dangerous complication into account.
authors.affiliation: Department of Traumatology and Emergency Surgery, Hospitals of the Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Rommens
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Claes
mesh_terms: D000063:Accidents, Traffic; D000293:Adolescent; D001858:Bone Nails; D004620:Embolism, Fat / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D005593:Fracture Fixation, Internal / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000295:instrumentation; D017102:Fracture Healing / Q000502:physiology; D005596:Fractures, Closed / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D009049:Motorcycles; D011859:Radiography; D012121:Respiration, Artificial; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013577:Syndrome; D013978:Tibial Fractures / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*