title: Correction of distal femoral valgus deformities in adolescents and young adults using minimally invasive fixator-assisted locking plating (FALP).
abstract: The treatment of distal femoral valgus deformities in skeletally mature patients might be a challenging surgical problem with significant morbidity. Treatment options are various and include osteotomy and external fixation, intramedullary nailing, and plating using standard and locking plates. We describe technical notes of minimally invasive technique of fixator-assisted plating using a supracondylar locking plate. During a period of 3 years, we operated on six patients (seven femurs) with distal femoral valgus deformities of different etiologies. All patients achieved correction of the deformities and started full weight bearing with radiographic evidence of union 6 weeks after correction. We believe that fixator-assisted locking plating has advantages over correction using external fixation and intramedullary nailing. This method of correction can be performed by a minimally invasive technique, precisely, and with minimal morbidity.
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Orthopedic Surgery Unit, Rambam Health Care Campus, Haifa, Israel.
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Eidelman
authors.forename: Yaniv
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Keren
authors.forename: Doron
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Norman
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001860:Bone Plates; D060906:Coxa Valga / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D016267:External Fixators; D005260:Female; D005269:Femur / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019060:Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D010027:Osteotomy / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome