Intramedullary nailing: experience in 427 patients

Area of Science:

• Orthopaedic Surgery
• Biomechanics
• Trauma Management

Background:

• Intramedullary nailing is a common surgical procedure for lower limb fractures.
• Evaluating complication rates is crucial for assessing treatment outcomes.
• A comprehensive review of intramedullary nailing procedures provides valuable data for surgical practice.

Purpose of the Study:

• To retrospectively review intramedullary nailings of the lower limb.
• To evaluate the range of complications associated with these procedures.
• To determine the overall complication rate and specific types of complications.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of 427 intramedullary nailings performed between 1989 and 1994.
• Procedures included femur nailings (172 cases) and tibia nailings (175 cases).
• Gamma nails were used for subtrochanteric and intertrochanteric fractures (80 cases).

Main Results:

• All cases achieved bone union.
• The overall complication rate was 3.3% (14 cases).
• Specific complications included infection (4), neuropraxia (2), implant failure (5), limb length deficiency (2), and malrotation (1).

Conclusions:

• Intramedullary nailing of the lower limb demonstrates a high success rate with union achieved in all cases.
• The overall complication rate of 3.3% is low, indicating a favorable safety profile.
• Specific complications are infrequent, supporting the use of intramedullary nailing for lower limb fractures.