ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:Exchange nailing has been reported to be a very good method for metaphyseal nonunion after femoral shaft fracture treated with intramedul ary nail. However, the effect of intramedul ary nail exchanging is not ideal for the treatment of nonisthmal femoral shaft nonunions. OBJECTIVE: To compare the clinical and imaging outcomes between intramedul ary nail exchanging and intramedul ary nail retention plus augmentation plating for the treatment of nonisthmal femoral shaft nonunions. METHODS:The clinical data of 39 patients with nonisthmal nonunions of femoral shaft fractures after failure of intramedul ary nail were retrospectively analyzed, and 21 patients were treated with intramedul ary nail exchanging and 18 patients were treated with intramedul ary nail retention plus augmentation plating. Clinical therapeutic effect was evaluated by Tohner-Wrnch standard. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Al cases were fol owed-up for more than 15 months. In the intramedul ary nail exchanging group, postoperative internal fixator loosening occurred in three cases who obtained bony union by intramedul ary nail retention plus augmentation plating combined with autogenous iliac bone graft. The fixation time, blood loss, volume for suspended red blood cel s transfusion, hospitalization costs and re-operation rate in the intramedul ary nail retention plus augmentation plating group were lower than that in the intramedullary nail exchanging group (P<0.05). Al the patients in two groups obtained bony union, and the clinical and radiographic healing time in the intramedul ary nail exchanging group were longer than those in the intramedul ary nail retention plus augmentation plating group (P<0.05);according to Tohner-Wrnch standard at final fol ow-up, excel ent in 10 cases, good in six cases and poor in five cases in the intramedul ary nail exchanging group, and the excel ent and good rate was 76%;in the intramedul ary nail retention plus augmentation plating group, there were 11 cases of excel ent and seven cases of good, and the excel ent and good rate was 100%;there was significant difference between two groups (P<0.05). Due to relatively simpler manipulation, shorter fixation time, less intraoperative blood loss, slighter trauma, less hospitalization cost, lower re-operation rate and more satisfactory therapeutic effect, intramedul ary nail retention plus augmentation plating combined with autogenous iliac bone graft has been a better method for the treatment of nonisthmal nonunions of femoral shaft fractures after failure of intramedul ary nailing when compared with intramedul ary nail exchanging.