title: Refracture following plate removal in supracondylar-intercondylar femur fractures.
abstract: In a study of 41 supracondylar-intercondylar femur fractures treated with open reduction and plate fixation, 15 patients requested plate removal due to lateral knee pain over the hardware. A refracture of the distal femur occurred within 10 weeks of hardware removal in 4 (27%) of 15 patients. All refractures occurred during normal functional activities. Patients who request hardware removal following union of a distal femur fracture treated with open reduction and plating should be informed of the possibility of refracture.
authors.affiliation: Grant Medical Center, Columbus, Ohio, USA.
authors.forename: Brian L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Davison
mesh_terms: D001860:Bone Plates / Q000009:adverse effects*; D020878:Device Removal / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005264:Femoral Fractures / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery*; D005592:Fracture Fixation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D010146:Pain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery*; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011859:Radiography; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors