Treatment of femoral shaft fractures with retrograde intramedullary nailing through knee joint / 中华创伤骨科杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To explore the indication and the procedure of operative treatment for femoral shaft fractures with retrograde intramedullary nailing through knee joint. Methods In the 12 cases of femoral shaft fracture, a 5cm incision inside the patella ligament was made under radioscopy, with the knee flexing to 30?to 40?, and the interlocking nail was inserted reversely through femoral intercondylar. Open reduction was done in 5 cases to correct dislocation, and closed reduction in 7 cases. Results All the cases were followed up for an average of one year. Their fractures healed, and their function of the knee joint recovered well. Conclusions The interlocking nail inserted reversely through the knee joint is a feasible therapy to treat femoral shaft fractures. It is simple, and provides rigid fixation and early functional exercises to recover the knee joint. It does not affect the knee joint function in a short term, but its long term effects still need further follow up.