Closed insertion technique for the prebent Sampson femoral rod

This is a descriptive summarization of the technique employed in doing closed intermedullary nailings of fractured femurs using a cannulated prebent nail system. With slight modifications the same approach and techniques can be used for a noncannulated solid nail system. The fine points of this technique which will help in preventing difficulties during the procedure are accurate preoperative positioning of the patient before draping; adequate preoperative traction to assure that slight over pull of the fracture fragments has been achieved; the use of the piriformis recess as the prime site for entry into the medullary canal. With proper attention to detail the technique can be employed successfully with a minimum of hazard.