Neglected femoral diaphyseal fracture

Femoral diaphyseal fractures usually result after trauma of high magnitude and because of this, can be life-threatening injuries or may result in considerable physical disability if not treated with care and caution. Nonoperative treatment of these fractures continues to be popular among the patient population in the Indian subcontinent, which in majority of cases, leads to healing in malalignment, shortening of the limb, chondromalacia patellae, and loss of knee motion. Although the majority of these fractures are being treated by operative methods today, success of the treatment depends largely on the surgeon's familiarity with the procedure or the type of fracture pattern (comminuted or segmental) particularly in a polytraumatized patient. Delayed union and nonunion of femoral-diaphyseal fractures and implant failures usually result after these procedures or the type of injury. The purpose of this study is to discuss various types of neglected femoral diaphyseal fractures and to review the literature on their treatment.