Comminuted femoral shaft fractures treated by closed intramedullary nailing and functional cast bracing

Eighty-one patients with comminuted femoral shaft fractures were treated by closed unlocked Küntscher nailing and functional cast bracing for 1 to 4 weeks postoperatively depending on the degree of comminution. The mean follow-up period was 27.6 months. The average time required for fracture healing was 14 weeks. There was one delayed union. One fracture united with more than 10 degrees of rotational malalignment; shortening of more than 1 cm was present in four cases. Two patients had more than 20 degrees of limitation of hip and knee movement.