[Managing pathologic femoral fractures in malignant bone tumors and skeletal metastases]

In adults pathological fractures of the femur are mostly caused by skeletal metastases. In our own collective of femoral fractures 58 were caused by skeletal metastases and five by multiple myeloma. Average age was 59.8 years, women prevailed. In most of the metastatic fractures breast cancer was found to be the primary tumour. In all cases fracture stabilization as a palliative measure was the only possible therapy. Two patients could not be operated on because of other vital problems. In femoral neck fractures resection and endoprosthesis was the operative measure of choice. The pertrochanteric and subtrochanteric fractures were mostly treated by composites of cement and the 95 degrees condylar-plate. Also in shaft fractures cement-implant composites were performed with straight plates. Rarely, intramedullary nailing was done. Exercising stability could always be achieved, weight-bearing stability in most of the cases. The mean survival time was 7.2 months regarding 43 patients with well documented course. Six patients are controlled regularly, the operative treatment was done on an average 16 months before.