No evidence of infection after retrograde nailing of supracondylar femur fracture in gunshot wounds.
BACKGROUND
The aim of the study was to determine whether osteomyelitis of the femur or septic arthritis of the knee develops after retrograde intramedullary nailing of the femur performed within 7 days of supracondylar femur fracture, secondary to gunshot wounds, without skin defects.


METHODS
Fifteen patients with a mean age of 27.8 years (range, 18-52 years), with supracondylar fractures of the femur due to gunshot wounds and without skin defects. Retrograde intramedullary nails were inserted through the intercondylar notch of the femur. We evaluated whether osteomyelitis of the femur or ipsilateral septic arthritis of the knee joint developed postoperatively.


RESULTS
None of the patients who were followed up for a mean period of 11.7 months (range, 9-16 months) showed evidence of ipsilateral septic arthritis of the knee or osteomyelitis of the femur.


CONCLUSIONS
Retrograde intramedullary nailing of the femur can be performed in patients with supracondylar fractures of the femur due to gunshot wounds, and without skin defects, in the first 7 days after the trauma. Neither osteomyelitis of the femur nor septic arthritis of the knee develops in these patients.
Poyanli
Oguz
O
Department of Orthopaedic and Traumatology, Goztepe Research and Training Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
Unay
Koray
K
Akan
Kaya
K
Guven
Melih
M
Ozkan
Korhan
K
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001170:Arthritis, Infectious / Q000453:epidemiology; D001858:Bone Nails; D005264:Femoral Fractures / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery*; D005594:Fracture Fixation, Intramedullary / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010019:Osteomyelitis / Q000453:epidemiology; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D011859:Radiography; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology; D014948:Wounds, Gunshot / Q000150:complications* / Q000601:surgery*