title: Is the Wave Plate Still a Salvage Procedure for Femoral Non-union? Results of 75 Cases Treated with a Locked Wave Plate.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyse the results of the treatment of aseptic femoral non-unions using a singular locked implant.
  
  
  METHODS
  Consecutive case series.
  
  
  METHODS
  A level-1 trauma center with a high number of specialist referrals.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study is based on a consecutive series of patients with prospective data evaluation. From 1993 to 2003, 75 patients were treated with a wave plate. All patients had persistent non-union of the femoral shaft without clinical or laboratory signs of infection and previous unsuccessful attempts to treat the non-union.
  
  
  METHODS
  The method of treatment was standardized and included a lateral approach, cancellous bone hip grafting, osteosynthesis with a wave-shaped plate (PPF) and polyaxial locking screws as well as the application of a gentamicin-PMMA chain.
  
  
  METHODS
  Time to achieve union, rate of implant failure and number of remaining nonunions after treatment. A total of 75 patients had full follow-up and were included in the study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The union of the fracture was found in 64 patients after the initial procedure. In eight cases a second procedure was performed to achieve union in the form of a second bone graft because of a delay in callus formation. The mean time to union was 7.3 months with a range from 3 to 19 months. The implant failed in three cases accounting for 4% of the total.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The locked wave plate offers a further reliable treatment for complex aseptic femoral non-unions.
authors.affiliation: BG Trauma Hospital Hamburg, Trauma and Reconstructive Surgery, Hamburg, Germany. aps77@web.de.|Department of Musculoskeletal Surgery, University Hospital Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany. aps77@web.de.|BG Trauma Hospital, Hamburg Trauma and Reconstructive Surgery, Bergedorfer Strasse 10, 21027, Hamburg, Germany. aps77@web.de.
authors.forename: Arndt P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Schulz
authors.affiliation: Department of Musculoskeletal Surgery, University Hospital Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany.
authors.forename: Maximilian
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Faschingbauer
authors.affiliation: Department of Musculoskeletal Surgery, University Hospital Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany.
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Seide
authors.affiliation: Department of Musculoskeletal Surgery, University Hospital Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany.
authors.forename: Uwe
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Schuemann
authors.affiliation: Medical Faculty, University Hospital Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mayer
authors.affiliation: BG Trauma Hospital Hamburg, Trauma and Reconstructive Surgery, Hamburg, Germany.|Department of Musculoskeletal Surgery, University Hospital Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jürgens
authors.affiliation: Department of Musculoskeletal Surgery, University Hospital Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wenzl
keywords: Femoral fractures; Intramedullary nailing of long bones; Locked plate; Non-union; Proximal femoral and femoral shaft fractures; Psaeudoarthrosis; Revision surgery
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