The introduction of the strong clover-leafed nail combined with the principle of reaming out the medullary canal and the development of image intensifiers has been extended the indications of the in tramedullary nailing. In this report, an attempt was made to introduce the method and to verify the indications and advantage of retrograde intramedullary nailing of humeral shaft fractures, as compared with the conventionally accepted methods.
Fracture Fixation, Intramedullary ; Humerus ; Methods

Background: Leg bone fracture is common seen in orthopedic trauma. Currently, the trend of treatment is using a less invasive technique. Especially, with application of C-Arm in surgery, closed Kuntscher nailing technique has made the treatment of leg bone fractures achieving more new improvements. Objectives: To summarize the experiences in the technical implementation process and to assess results of treatment. Subjects and method: A descriptive, retrospective study was conducted on 112 patients was confirmed diagnosed with leg bone fractures (81 males, 31 females, the average aged 29\xb15.3), were operated in Da Nang General Hospital from January, 2004 to June, 2006. All of them were performed with Kuntscher intramedullary nail in tibia without opening fracture cavity, in condition of without C-Arm. Results: The patients with combined injuries included 5 cases of 2 legs fracture, 2 cases of hip fracture, 5 cases of leg fracture in 2 stages, 1 case of collabone fracture. Postoperative observations: no case of infection, patients were discharged after 2-7 days, the average length of hospitalization was 3\xb12.4 days. Complication: 1 case of secondary deviation, no case of any delay to heal bone, broken nails. Recording a case of nail was rise up to cause painfully and synovial capsule inflammation of knee joint. Conclusion: The implementation of this less invasive technique should be orderly done. The most ideal indication was tibial shaft fractures in stage of middle 1/3. Because of a minimally invasive technique so patients were less painful, fracture healing quickly, early mobilization could be set, surrounding joints were not affected.
Tibial Fractures/surgery ; Fracture Fixation ; Intramedullary/ methods ;

OBJECTIVETo discuss the curative effect of bone graft from trochanter with interlocking intramedullary nail for comminute fracture of femur.

METHODSFrom January of 2009 to January of 2010, fifty patients with comminute fracture of femur were treated by the therapy of bone graft from trochanter with interlocking intramedullary nail, included 35 males and 15 females with an average age of 38.4 years old ranging from 28 to 50 years. According to AO/ASIF classification system, there were 15 cases of type B1, 20 of type B2, 8 of type B3, 7 of type C1.

RESULTSAll the patients were followed up for 12 to 24 months, averaged 14.4 months. All the broken femurs knitted in 4 to 6 months, the average period of knit was 5.6 months. The injured legs with normal movement in knees,which had no infection, vascellum-nerve injury and anchylosis in knees. According to Merchan knee rating scale, the results were excellent in 25 cases, good in 20, fair in 3 and poor in 2, and the excellent and good rate was 90%.

CONCLUSIONBone graft from trochanter with interlocking intramedullary nail, which has a virtue of small injury, less blood loss, high rate of bone knit, perfect functional recovery, is a preferable therapy of fresh fracture of femur.

Adult ; Bone Transplantation ; methods ; Female ; Femoral Fractures ; surgery ; Fracture Fixation, Intramedullary ; methods ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged

OBJECTIVETo study the clinical efficacy of semiextended intramedullary nailing of the tibia using a suprapatellar approach for proximal tibial fractures.

METHODSFrom January 2013 to January 2014, a total of 16 patients with unilateral proximal tibial fractures, 14 males and 2 females, underwent closed reduction and internal fixation with TRIGEN™ META-NAIL™ via the suprapatellar approach. The average age was 42.2 years old (ranged, 26 to 57 years old). Radiographic and clinical follow-up examinations were performed at a minimum of 1 year after surgery. Measurements included surgery time, complications, bone healing time, tibial alignment, knee range of motion, pain scoring (visual analogue scale) and functional outcome (Lysholm knee score).

RESULTSThe average surgery time was (75.7±8.3) minutes (ranged, 65 to 95 minutes). No obvious complications were recorded. Average duration of follow-up was (15.6±8.1) months (ranged, 12 to 24 months). Fifteen patients attained radiological bone union for a mean time of (3.6±1.8) months (ranged, 3 to 5 months). At the final follow-up, all tibial alignments were good, and no patients complained of anterior knee pain. Mean arc of knee motion was (124.4±18.8) degrees for the affected extremity compared with (127.5±16.7) degrees for the contra-lateral knee. The total scores of Lysholm knee score ranged from 77 to 92, average 86.4±12.3.

CONCLUSIONFor proximal tibial fractures,the semiextended intramedullary nailing technique via a suprapatellar approach can obtain satisfactory clinical outcomes with simplicity in reduction and fixation, minimal complications, and good recovery of limbs function.

Adult ; Female ; Fracture Fixation, Intramedullary ; methods ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Tibia ; surgery ; Tibial Fractures ; surgery

Bone Nails ; Bone Plates ; Fracture Fixation, Intramedullary ; instrumentation ; methods ; Humans ; Tibial Fractures ; surgery

OBJECTIVETo investigate the treatment of femoral neck fractures after the fixation of ipsilateral femoral shaft fracture by antegrade intramedullary nail.

METHODSA retrospective study on 12 patients with femoral neck fractures after the fixation of ipsilateral femoral shaft fracture by antegrade intramedullary nail, which were identified intraoperatively or postoperatively from January 2000 to January 2010. All the patients were treated with 2 supplemental screws placed anteriorly and posteriorly to intramedullary nail seperately. All the patients were periodic followed-up, fractures union and functional recovery were evaluated.

RESULTSAll the patients were followed up, and the duration ranged from 10 to 36 months (averaged 16.5 months). The mean healing time was 3.6 months in femoral neck fractures and 5.4 months in femoral shaft fractures. No osteonecrosis of femoral head was found. According to Harris scoring system for hip function, 7 patients got an excellent result, 3 good, 2 fair.

CONCLUSIONTreatment of femoral neck after the fixation of ipsilateral femoral shaft by antegrade intramedullary nail with 2 screws placed anteriorly and posteriorly to intramedullary nail separately is feasible, and has the advantages of reliable fixation, less trauma and high rate of fracture healing.

Adult ; Female ; Femoral Neck Fractures ; surgery ; Femur ; surgery ; Fracture Fixation, Intramedullary ; methods ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged

Adolescent ; Adult ; Child ; Female ; Fracture Fixation, Intramedullary ; methods ; Humans ; Male ; Radius Fractures ; surgery

PURPOSETo describe our clinical experience with a system named SureShot? Distal Targeting (Smith & Nephew, Memphis, USA) based on magnetic field presence and discuss our suggestions on this technique.

METHODSWe analysed prospectively 47 patients affected by humeral, tibial or femoral fractures, treated in our institution during a 3-year period of time (August 2010 to September 2013). We considered the following parameters: the time to set up, the time to position a single screw, the effectiveness of the system (drilling ad screwing), the irradiation exposure time during distal locking procedure and surgical complications.

RESULTSA total number of 96 screws were inserted. The mean preparation time of the device was 5.1 min ± 2 min (range 3-10 min). The mean time for single screw targeting was 5.8 min ± 2.3 min (range 4-18 min). No major complications occurred. Only a few locking procedures were needed to be practiced in order to obtain the required expertise with this targeting device.

CONCLUSIONAccording to our results, this device is reliable and valid whenever the correct technique is followed. It is also user friendly, exposes to lower radiation and needs less surgical time compared to relative data from the literature. However, the surgeon should always be aware of how to use the free hand technique in case of malfunctioning of the system.

Bone Screws ; Fracture Fixation, Intramedullary ; adverse effects ; instrumentation ; methods ; Humans ; Magnetic Fields ; Prospective Studies

OBJECTIVETo study the biomechanical characteristics of Ni-Ti shape-memory alloy-enclosed interlocking intramedular nail Ni-Ti En for clinical application.

METHODSSix transverse fractures were induced in 6 fresh humeral shafts and fixed with Ni-Ti En, plate, interlocking intramedullary nail, and Ender nail, respectively. The specimens then underwent stress analysis for comparison of the bending strength, twisting force, and flexibility.

RESULTSThe bending strength of Ni-Ti En was not significantly different from that of the plate and better than ender's nail; the twisting force of the interlocking intramedullary nail was comparable with the plate, but better than Ender nail.

CONCLUSIONNi-Ti Enpossess good biomechanical property to meet the demand of osteosynthesis, and its less stress protection, freedom of distant nail locking, flexibility and stable fixation may accelerate fracture healing.

Biomechanical Phenomena ; Bone Nails ; Fracture Fixation, Intramedullary ; instrumentation ; methods ; Humans ; Humeral Fractures ; physiopathology ; surgery ; Nickel ; Titanium

PURPOSE: This study evaluated the shortening and rotational deformity after closed intramedullary nailing of femur shaft fracture according to Winquist-Hansen classification type. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was based on 98 cases who received cloased intramedullary fixation about their femur shaft fractures between January 2000 and October 2005 with minimum 12 months follow up. The rotational deformity was analysed by Yang's method (45 cases) preoperatively and postoperatively, and the shortening by orthoradiogram (55 cases). Furthermore we analysed other complications, for example nonunion, infection, and metal failure. RESULTS: We found more than 15 degrees anteversion difference of both femurs in 10 cases. Among them, 9 cases were classified to type 3, 4. According to Winquist-Hansen classification, rotational deformity ranged from 3.7° (Type 1) to 8.9° (Type 4). More than 2 cm leg length discrepancy (LLD) was found in 9 cases, all of them were classified as Winquist-Hansen classification type 3, 4. In the type 1, LLD was checked as 3.2 mm and type 4, 14.2 mm. CONCLUSION: To prevent the shortening and rotational deformity after intramedullary fixation of Winquist-Hansen classification type 3, 4 femur shaft fracture, intraoperatively the exact contralateral femoral anteversion and length should be checked.
Classification* ; Congenital Abnormalities* ; Femur* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Fracture Fixation, Intramedullary* ; Leg ; Methods