title: Treatment of impending and actual pathological femoral fractures with the long Gamma nail in The Netherlands.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the results of stabilising impending and actual pathological femoral fractures using the long Gamma nail with the published results of other methods.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective study.
  
  
  METHODS
  20 hospitals throughout The Netherlands.
  
  
  METHODS
  101 patients with metastases in 110 femurs, which were stabilised with a long Gamma nail.
  
  
  METHODS
  Functional results and complications.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Minimum follow-up was 1.5 years or until death, Mean survival was 12 months (range 0-82). 14 patients died in hospital; 5 had technical complications and fat embolism was suspected in 3 patients. 92% of the patients became mobile and pain was absent or acceptable in 93%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The use of the long Gamma nail produces better functional results, fewer technical complications, and an incidence of general complications no different from those reported for other methods.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Tweesteden Hospital, Tilburg, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: van Doorn
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Stapert
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D005260:Female; D005264:Femoral Fractures / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D005266:Femoral Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000556:secondary* / Q000601:surgery; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005594:Fracture Fixation, Intramedullary / Q000295:instrumentation*; D005598:Fractures, Spontaneous / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D011859:Radiography; D012189:Retrospective Studies