Unreamed intramedullary nailing of acute femoral shaft fractures using a traction device without fracture table.
The authors present a simple distraction apparatus that makes it possible to perform nonreamed intramedullary nailing of the femur on a normal operating table. Nonreamed intramedullary (IM) nails were inserted in 24 femoral shaft fractures using this device. The setup time of this device was 60% shorter compared with a stratified group of 28 femoral nailings performed using the fracture table. The authors feel that this device is a safe and effective alternative to using a fracture table. It is especially useful in the polytrauma patient where the additional lesions can be treated without the need for patient transfer to another table.
Department of Traumatology and Reconstructive Surgery, University Hospitals K.U. Leuven, Belgium.
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D000328:Adult; D001858:Bone Nails; D004867:Equipment Design; D005264:Femoral Fractures / Q000601:surgery*; D005594:Fracture Fixation, Intramedullary / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D009104:Multiple Trauma; D011126:Polypropylenes; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012449:Safety; D013193:Stainless Steel; D013997:Time Factors; D014143:Traction / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000295:instrumentation
D011126:Polypropylenes; D013193:Stainless Steel