title: Treatment of intertrochanteric fractures in geriatric patients with a modified external fixator.
abstract: Forty-two geriatric patients who had an intertrochanteric fracture were treated with a semicircular modification of the Ilizarov frame designed by Cattaneo and Catagni between January 1997 and September 2001. Twenty-five of the patients were female, 17 male. The average age of the patients was 77.5 years (range, 63-99). No intraoperative complication occurred. Deep pin-track infection was found in four patients and varus deformity was observed in two patients and shortening of less than 2 cm in 10 patients. Fixator removal was achieved in a mean time of 12 weeks (range, 10-18). No implant failure, refracture or stiffness of knee and hip joint movements was recorded. We concluded that the treatment of intertrochanteric fractures of the elderly patients with our modification provides significant advantages such as minimal operative and anaesthetic risks, no blood loss, early weight-bearing, short hospitalisation time and rapid union time.
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, Department of Orthopaedics and Trauma Surgery, Ondokuz Mayis University, 55139 Kurupelit-Samsun, Turkey. ytomak@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Yilmaz
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tomak
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kocaoglu
authors.forename: Ahmet
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Piskin
authors.forename: Cemil
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yildiz
authors.forename: Birol
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gulman
authors.forename: Leman
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tomak
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016267:External Fixators; D005260:Female; D006620:Hip Fractures / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D018889:Ilizarov Technique / Q000592:standards*; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology; D011859:Radiography; D016896:Treatment Outcome