ABSTRACT
This is a study of 14 patients who sustained subtrochanteric femoral fractures that were internally fixed by a standard gamma interlocking nail. There were ten females and four males. Their average age at operation was 61.5 years. According to the mechanism of injury, eight patients sustained minor trauma and the other six were involved in high-energy trauma. With the exception of a single patient, the operation was performed within the first three days of admission. Thirteen patients were mobilized within the first two postoperative days. All fractures united at an average period of 3.4 months [range 2-8 8 months]. At final follow-up, 12 patients returned to their pre- Injury pattern of walking and the other two had a mild limp. Complications of the procedure included intraoperative fracture of the external cortex of the femur in a single patient, leg shortening in seven, trochanteric bursitis in two, superficial wound infection in two, varus deformity of more than 20 degrees in two and deep vein thrombosis in a single patient. None of these complications materially affected the end result. The gamma nail proved to be an effective device in treating such difficult fractures by permitting early weight bearing and achieving solid union in all the cases