OBJECTIVETo compare clinical efficacy of anatomic locking plate and Gamma nail in treating unstable femoral intertrochanteric fractures with external wall fractures.

METHODSFrom June 2010 to June 2014,clinical data of 44 patients with intertroehanteric fractures associated with lateral wall fractures (type 31A2.2-3.3) followed more than 12 months,which treated with Gamma nail or anatomic locking plate,were retrospective analyzed. Sixteen patients were treated with anatomic locking plate, including 6 males and 10 females aged from 32 to 83 years old with an average of 56.5 years old. Twenty-eight patients were treated with Gamma nail including 17 males and 11 females aged from 26 to 87 years old with an average of 60.4 years old. Operative time, intraoperative fluoroscopy times, blood loss (intraoperative and hidden blood loss), hospital stays were observed and compared. PPMS and HHS scoring were used to evaluate postoperative clinical effect.

RESULTSAll patients were followed up from 12 to 24 months with an average of 16.2 months. Operative time in Gamma nail was shorter than anatomic locking plate; while blood loss( intraoperative and hidden blood loss) and intraoperative fluoroscopy times in anatomic locking plate were less than that of in Gamma nail. There was no significant meaning in hospital stays between two groups. Postoperative full weight-bearing time in anatomic locking plate was prolonged than Gamma nail. At the final following-up, PPMS in Gamma nail was 7.50 ± 1.78 and 6.82 ± 1.38 in anatomic locking plate, and there was no obvious meaning between two groups (t = 2.341, P = 0.132); there was no significant differences in HHS score between Gamma nail (83.25 ± 11.18) and anatomic locking plate (86.14 ± 12.36) (t = 1.923, P = 0.243). The incidence of complications in Gamma nail was less than anatomic lock-ing plate (P = 0.005).

CONCLUSIONAnatomic locking plate for intertrochanteric fractures with external wall fractures could avoid re-injury of external wall, especially for severe comminuted fractures, difficult for intramedullary nailing, and there was no significant meaning in hip joint function compared with Gamma nail, while postoperative incidence of complications was higher than Gamma nail, so early weight-bearing was not stress.