Intramedullary nailing for the treatment of aseptic femoral shaft non-unions after plating failure: effectiveness and timing.
This retrospective, multicentre study aimed to evaluate reamed intramedullary nailing (IMN) for the treatment of 30 cases of aseptic femoral shaft non-union after plating failure. Following nailing, 29 non-unions had healed by a mean 7.93 months. In one case a hypertrophic non-union required renailing after 8 months, using a nail of greater diameter, and united within five further months. Healing times were not related to whether the fracture was open or closed, the type non-union or the type of fracture. The delay from the initial plating to intramedullary nailing had a statistically significant effect on healing time and final outcome. This treatment is cost effective and should be implemented as soon as the non-union is diagnosed.
Orthopaedic Department of University of Patras, Greece.
Panagiotis
P
Megas
Spyros A
SA
Syggelos
Georgios
G
Kontakis
Andreas
A
Giannakopoulos
Georgios
G
Skouteris
Elias
E
Lambiris
Elias
E
Panagiotopoulos
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001858:Bone Nails; D001860:Bone Plates; D016025:Bone Transplantation; D005260:Female; D005264:Femoral Fractures / Q000601:surgery*; D005594:Fracture Fixation, Intramedullary / Q000379:methods*; D017102:Fracture Healing / Q000502:physiology*; D005599:Fractures, Ununited / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011475:Prosthesis Failure; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular; D012086:Reoperation; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult