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Management of Pipkin Type-III Femoral Head Fracture and Ipsilateral Open Floating Knee with Extensor Apparatus
V Singaravadivelu1, Keerthy Chandra Bassetty, T M Balakrishnan
1Institute of Orthopaedics and Traumatology (V.S., K.C.B.) and Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (T.M.B., J.J.L.), Madras Medical College and Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital, Tamil Nadu, India.
Case:
A twenty-eight-year-old man presented with a Pipkin type-III femoral head fracture and open floating knee injury. Initially debridement was performed, during which the extensor apparatus could not be salvaged. The top priority in management of the floating knee was achievement of adequate soft-tissue coverage followed by skeletal stabilization as staged procedures. Because the femoral head was split, dislocated, comminuted, and deemed nonreconstructible, arthroplasty was considered the best option. The extensor mechanism damage was addressed by reconstruction using an iliotibial tract flap.
Conclusion:
This case report is presented for its uniqueness, the management protocol, and the difficulties encountered during the multistage treatment.
