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Updated: Aug 12, 2026
Treatment with Locking Intramedullary Nailing for Intertrochanteric Fracture of the Femur Utilizing a New Awl with a Distal Positioner
Published on: June 6, 2025
One-stop virtual planning for optimising implant selection and surgical efficiency in subtrochanteric fractures
1Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
Introduction:
Long proximal femoral intramedullary nails present challenges in the treatment of subtrochanteric fractures. Short nails may represent a suitable alternative; however, conventional preoperative planning has limitations in evaluating their appropriateness. This study investigated whether computer-assisted virtual planning can enhance implant selection consistency, short nail utilisation, and surgical outcomes.
Methods:
This retrospective cohort study analysed 103 patients (57 virtual planning, 46 conventional planning) treated with proximal femoral intramedullary nailing at a Level I trauma centre in China between 2009 and 2018. Conventional planning relied on imaging and surgeon experience. Virtual planning used three-dimensional computed tomography reconstruction to simulate fracture reduction and determine optimal implant dimensions. Primary outcomes were the planned and actual implant dimensions selected. Secondary outcomes included operative parameters, complications, implant-associated adverse events, and functional scores at 12 months. Robust multivariate analysis of covariance and logistic regression analyses were performed.
Results:
Compared with conventional planning, virtual planning demonstrated higher consistency between planned and actual short/long nail selection (kappa coefficient=0.95 vs 0.54) and implant dimensions (intraclass correlation coefficient=0.889-0.971 vs 0.786-0.870), with a higher actual short nail utilisation rate (75.4% vs 52.2%). Virtual planning reduced operative duration (90.21 vs 141.67 minutes; P<0.001), closed reduction duration (23.02 vs 30.43 minutes; P<0.001), blood loss (203.51 vs 294.78 mL; P<0.001), and number of fluoroscopy exposures (19.95 vs 29.67; P<0.001), and was associated with faster learning curves. Complications and functional scores were statistically similar between groups but numerically favoured the virtual planning group.
Conclusion:
Virtual planning improved implant selection consistency, short nail utilisation, and surgical efficiency. It demonstrated numerically superior clinical outcomes.