Treatment of the floating knee with interlocking nails (a report of 6 cases) / 中华创伤骨科杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To evaluate the clinical effects of the interlocking intramedullary nails in treatment of the floating knee. Methods Internal fixation with the interlocking nail in unilateral femur and tibia was performed on 6 patients with the floating knee, and the treatments of complications were analyzed and summarized. Results After operation the 6 patients were followed up and their X ray films were reviewed after 3, 6, and 12 months respectively. Fractures in unilateral femur and tibia healed at once in 4 patients, the union of one femur fracture delayed in one case and the union of tibia fracture delayed in one case. The knee joint could flex to 80～90 degrees in 5 of the 6 patients, and the other one could flex to 60 degrees. No shortening of the limb occurred in all the patients who healed after 6～18 months. Conclusion As the “floating knee”is a kind of high energy injury, often complicated with injury of important organs, the complication should be treated while the internal fixation be conducted as soon as possible. The interlocking intramedullary nail is a good device with which the function of the limb can recover fast with the postoperative dysfunction of the knee and ankle joints greatly reduced.