The treatment of femoral shaft hypertrophic nonunions with exchange nailing versus augmentation plating / 中华骨科杂志

ABSTRACT

ObjectiveTo compare the outcomes and indications between exchange nailing (EN) and augmentation plating (AP) with a nail left in situ for femoral shaft hypertrophic nonunion after femoral nailing. MethodsFrom April 1998 to June 2009, 20 patients with femoral shaft hypertrophic nonunions after femoral nailing were treated with EN (11 patients) and AP (9 patients) respectively. There were no significant differences between the two groups with respect to the patient's age, gender, associated injuries, anatomical location and type of femoral fracture. Patients were evaluated by imaging and clinical function at 1, 2, 3, 4,6, and 12 months after surgery, and then every year postoperatively, to observe the callus and the recovery condition of the affected limb function. Fisher exact test and t'-test were performed to compare the outcome and complications respectively. ResultsAn unpaired t'-test showed no significant differences with respect to follow-up time, operating time, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative drainage, length of stay, time to radiographic union, time to clinical union, and AAOS score between the two groups. The cost of hospitalizations in the EN group was higher than in the AP group(t'=16.4, P=0.013). Four nonunions in the EN group failed to achieve union, which 3 patients were subsequently treated with AP and simultaneous autogenous bone grafting and 1 patient was treated with nail dynamization. All 9 hypertrophic nonunions in the AP group obtained osseous union. Fisher exact test showed a higher nonunion rate of EN compared with AP (χ2=6.01 ,P=0.008). ConclusionEN has been an excellent choice for aseptic isthmal femoral nonunion without a large bone defect subsequent to intramedullary fracture fixation, and AP can be an effective solution in cases of nonisthmal femoral nonunion and bone defect and failed exchange nailing.