Retrograde interlocking intramedullary nailing under arthroscopy for supracondylar femoral fracture

Objective: To evaluate the therapeutic effects of retrograde interlocking intramedullary nailing under arthroscopy on supracondylar femoral fractures. Methods: From June 1999 to December 2000, 17 patients with supracondylar femoral fracture were treated with arthroscopically assisted implantation of retrograde interlocking intramedullary nail and close reduction. Results: More than 6 month follow up study after operation in 11 patients revealed that the average healing time was 3 months. Average range of the knee motion for all the patients was more than 90 degrees. There was no implant breakage and infection. Conclusions: This new method, combining the advantage of arthroscope and retrograde interlocking intramedullary nail, can provide a stable and reliable fixation, and meanwhile is less invasive to the soft tissue and knee, less operative time and blood loss, minimal disruption of the blood supply in fracture site. It is conducive to the fracture healing and the functional recovery of the knee joint and worthwhile to be recommended.

Modified fixation for periprosthetic supracondylar femur fractures:Two case reports and review of the literature

BACKGROUND Periprosthetic supracondylar femoral fractures(PSFs)present a challenge in terms of optimizing fixation in patients with poor bone quality.Surgical treatment and peri-operative management of PSFs in the elderly remain a burden for orthopedic surgeons.Among different treatment options,locking plate(LP)and retrograde intramedullary nail(RIMN)have shown favorable results.However,reduced mobility and protected weight-bearing are often present in the postoperative older population.With a purpose of allowing for early weight-bearing,a modified nail plate combination(NPC)was redesigned for PSF management.CASE SUMMARY In our cases,two elderly osteoporotic female underwent total knee arthroplasty(TKA),and then suffered from low energy trauma onto their knees after falling to the floor.Plain radiographs or computed tomography scans demonstrated oblique or transverse PSFs,both of which occurred at the distal femur above TKA.The modified NPC technique was performed for treatment of PSFs.The patient was made foot flat weight bearing in 1 wk.At 6-mo follow-up,the union was ultimately achieved using modified NPC with satisfactory implant outcomes.CONCLUSION Neither LP nor RIMN alone may provide adequate support to allow for union in circumstances where the patient has severely osteopenic bone.Therefore,developing a modified implant offer an alternative choice for treating PSFs.These two cases revealed that this technique is a viable option for the geriatric osteoporotic PSFs,offering safe,early weight bearing and favorable clinical outcomes.