The retrograde nail for distal femoral fractures in the elderly: high failure rate of the condyle screw and nut

Early weight bearing versus late weight bearing after intramedullary nailing for distal femoral fracture (AO/OTA 33) in elderly patients: A multicenter propensity-matched study

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to assess differences in implant failure and bone union rates, amount of change in alignment of lower extremities, and walking ability between early weight-bearing (EWB) and late weight-bearing (LWB) groups following retrograde intramedullary nailing (RIMN) for distal femoral fracture (AO/OTA 33) (DFF) at multiple centers using propensity score matching.

METHODS

The data of 213 patients who underwent RIMN from 2012 to 2019 in multiple tertiary hospitals were extracted from our database. Cases with the following factors were excluded: age <60, open fracture, AO/OTA-type 33-C3 fracture, preoperative New Mobility Score (NMS) < 3, postoperative follow-up <3 months, and unknown weight-bearing start time. Eighty-four patients were divided into the EWB and LWB groups. EWB group patients were encouraged to perform partial weight-bearing walking at ≤4 weeks after surgery. LWB group patients were not allowed weight bearing for >4 weeks after surgery. After propensity score matching was applied, 26 cases remained in each group.

RESULTS

There were no cases of nail failure in either the EWB group or LWB group (P = 1). Screw failure occurred in 0 cases in the EWB group and in 1 case (4.5%) in the LWB group (P = 1.0). Non-union occurred in 5 patients (19.2%) in the EWB group and 4 patients (15.3%) in the LWB group (P = 1). The mean amount of change in lower extremities alignment did not differ between the two groups. The median Knee Society Score was 95.5 (59-100) vs. 93 (72-100) points (P = 0.39). The median NMS was 7 (0-9) vs. 7 (4-9) points (P = 0.82).

CONCLUSIONS

There were no significant intergroup differences in the rates of implant failure, bone union at one year after surgery, amount of change in lower extremities alignment, or walking ability. We suggest that early weight bearing after RIMN for DFF may not be harmful in elderly people.

Comparison of the biomechanical stability of transverse and oblique screw trajectories in retrograde intramedullary nailing of supracondylar femur fractures

BACKGROUND

The goal was to determine the effect of addition of oblique trajectory distal interlock screws to a retrograde intramedullary femoral nail on implant stability (stiffness), cycles to failure and mode of failure. The hypothesis was that addition of oblique screws would increase implant stability and number of loading cycles to failure.

METHODS

Eight matched pairs were tested; one femur implanted with a femoral nail with only transverse distal interlock screws and the other with transverse and oblique interlock screws. Axial compressive load was applied to the femoral head and the gluteal tendon was tensioned vertically to simulate standing or at 45° to the sagittal plane to simulate stair climbing. Loads were cycled to increasing amplitude until failure of fixation (10 mm displacement or 10° rotation).

FINDINGS

In simulated standing, oblique screw specimen had greater sagittal bending (bowing) than transverse only specimen. Transverse (axial) plane motion was higher in simulated stair climbing in oblique screw specimen. Oblique screw specimen had higher sagittal plane translation at 600 N of load. At 300 N, oblique screw specimen had lower internal-external rotation than transverse only specimen. A larger number of cycles to failure were observed in four oblique screw of seven paired specimen. Failure (10 mm or 10 degrees of motion) was only achieved during simulated stair climbing.

INTERPRETATION

Our hypothesis that adding oblique screws improves fixation was rejected. Activities of daily living other than standing may constitute a challenge to fracture fixation; fixation failure occurred at lower loads in simulated stair climbing than standing.

Distal Femur Replacement Versus Surgical Fixation for the Treatment of Geriatric Distal Femur Fractures: A Systematic Review

OBJECTIVES

The management of geriatric distal femur fractures is controversial, and both primary distal femur replacement (DFR) and surgical fixation (SF) are viable treatment options. The purpose of this study was to compare patient outcomes after these treatment strategies.

DATA SOURCES

PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane databases were searched for English language articles up to April 24, 2020, identifying 2129 papers.

STUDY SELECTION

Studies evaluating complications in elderly patients treated for distal femur fractures with either immediate DFR or SF were included. Studies with mean patient age <55 years, nontraumatic indications for DFR, or SF with nonlocking plates were excluded.

DATA EXTRACTION

Two studies provided Level II or III evidence, whereas the remaining 28 studies provided Level IV evidence. Studies were formally evaluated for methodological quality using established criteria. Treatment failure between groups was compared using an incidence rate ratio.

DATA SYNTHESIS

Treatment failure was defined for both SF and arthroplasty as complications requiring a major reoperation for reasons such as mechanical failure, nonunion, deep infection, aseptic loosening, or extensor mechanism disruption. There were no significant differences in complication rates or knee range of motion between SF and DFR.

CONCLUSIONS

SF and DFR for the treatment of geriatric distal femur fractures demonstrate similar overall complication rates. Given the available evidence, no strong conclusions on the comparative effectiveness between the 2 treatments can be definitively made. More rigorous prospective research comparing SF vs. DFR to treat acute geriatric distal femur fractures is warranted.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Therapeutic Level IV. See instructions for authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

[The role of the retrograde nailing in distal femur fractures: about 7 cases]

We report a series of seven cases of fractures of the distal end of the femur treated by retrograde centro-medullary nailing in the Orthopedic-Trauma Department at the Hospital Ibn Sina over the period 30/05/2010 - 30/04/2015. The average age of patients was 54 years, with a slight male predominance (57,1%). Road traffic accidents were the main cause of these fractures (71.4%) and they mostly affected the right side of body (57,1%). From a surgical point of view, the mean time between symptom onset and treatment initiation was 2 days. Spinal anesthesia was performed in five cases. The average length of stay in hospital was 5 days. The mean time of consolidation was 4 months in all patients, there was only one case of delayed consolidation (6 months). Patients had good functional outcomes with mean knee flexion 120°, with only one case of limited flexion 90°. There was one case of consolidation delay and one case of pseudarthrosis. No deaths, or superficial or deep sepsis, or thromboembolic complications or fat embolism were registered. In general we had satisfactory outcomes. Our study highlights that retrograde femoral nailing is an essential osteosynthesis technique for the surgical treatment of the distal femur fractures.

Is staged management with immediate conversion of external fixation to retrograde intramedullary nailing for combat-related Gustilo Type III supracondylar femur fractures safe and reliable method?

INTRODUCTION

Femur fractures due to bomb explosions and gunshots in battlefield require osseous stabilization as quickly as possible to expedite emergent conditions. İmmediate external fixation is the initial procedure as usual with planned early conversion to definitive treatment. The purpose of the current study is to determine the results of the early retrograde intramedullary nailing in combat-related injuries.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Eighteen patients with comminuted supracondylar femur fractures, initially treated with external fixation followed by planned conversion to retrograde intramedullary nailing in a one-stage procedure, were evaluated in a retrospective review to gather demographic, injury, management, and fracture-healing data for analysis.

RESULTS

According to the system of Gustilo Anderson and Orthopedic Trauma Association, all fractures were open type III and 33-A3, respectively. The mean follow-up, operation time and union time were 1.8 years (range, 6 months to 2,6 years), 75 min (range, 60-100), and 3 months (range, 1.5-4), respectively. There was one complication of acute osteomyelitis which was successfully treated with antibiotic-load beams and aggressive bone debridement. No septic arthritis was observed.

CONCLUSIONS

We concluded that immediate retrograde intramedullary nailing in combat-related supracondylar femur fractures regardless of contamination even in Gustilo type III is a safe and reliable treatment method.

Biomechanical performance of retrograde nail for supracondylar fractures stabilization

The study compared the biomechanical performance of retrograde nail used to stabilize supracondylar fracture (three different levels) by means of finite element analysis. Three different nail lengths (200, 260, and 300 mm) of stainless steel and titanium nails were under consideration. Intact femur model was reconstructed from Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine images of Thai cadaveric femur scanned by computed tomography spiral scanner, whereas geometry of retrograde nail was reconstructed with the data obtained from three-dimensional laser scanner. The retrograde nail was virtually attached to the femur before nodes and elements were generated for finite element model. The finite element models were analyzed in two stages, the early stage of fracture healing and the stage after fracture healing. The finding indicated that purchasing proximal locking screw in the bowing region of the femur may be at risk due to the high stresses at the implant and bone. There were no differences in stress level, elastic strain at a fracture gap, and bone stress between stainless steel and titanium implant. Since the intramedullary canal requires reaming to accommodate the retrograde nail, the length of retrograde nail should be as long as necessary. However, in case that the retrograde nail can be accommodated into the intramedullary canal without reaming, the longer retrograde nail can be used.

Distal femoral fractures in the elderly: biomechanical analysis of a polyaxial angle-stable locking plate versus a retrograde intramedullary nail in a human cadaveric bone model

INTRODUCTION

Compromised bone quality and the need for early mobilization still lead to high rates of implant failure in geriatric patients with distal femoral fractures. With the newest generation of polyaxial locking plates and the proven retrograde femoral nails today two minimally invasive surgical procedures have been established. Indications for both procedures overlap. This study attempts to define the strength and failure mode of both surgical procedures.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A standardized fracture model was established to simulate an unstable AO/OTA 33-A3 fracture. Eight pairs of human cadaver femora (mean age 79 years, range 63-100 years) with compromised bone quality were used. Osteosyntheses with eight retrograde femoral nails and eight locking plates were randomly performed. A materials testing machine (Instron 5566) was used to perform cyclic stress tests according to a standardized loading protocol, up to a maximum load of 5,000 N.

RESULTS

All specimens survived loading of at least 2,500 N. Three nail and one plate construct survived a maximum load of 5,000 N. The mean compressive force leading to failure was 4,400 N (CI 4,122-4,678 N) for nail osteosynthesis and 4,429 N (CI 3,653-5,204 N) for plate osteosynthesis (p = 0.943). Proximal cutting out of the osteosynthesis was the most common reason for interruption in the nail and plate osteosyntheses. Significant differences between the retrograde femoral nail and plate osteosyntheses were seen under testing conditions for plastic deformation and stiffness of the constructs (p = 0.002 and p = 0.001, respectively).

CONCLUSION

Based on our results, no statements regarding the superiority of either of the devices can be made. Even though the load to failure values for both osteosyntheses were much higher than the loads experienced during normal walking; however, because only axial loading was applied, it remains unclear whether both osteosyntheses meet the estimated requirements for postoperative full weight-bearing for an average heavy patient with a distal femoral fracture.

Retrograde femoral nailing in elderly patients: outcome and functional results

Functional outcome after retrograde femoral intramedullary nailing was investigated in 35 patients older than 60 years (mean, 86 years) with 36 fractures, comprising 15 (41.7%) shaft and 21 (58.3%) distal fractures; overall, 7 (19.4%) periprosthetic fractures occured. Twenty-two (62.9%) of 35 patients were evaluated at a mean 16.5-month follow-up with the Lyshom-Gillquist score and the SF-8 questionaire. Primary union rate was 97.8%, with no significant differences in duration of surgery, bone healing, mobilization, and weight bearing among different fracture types; periprosthetic fractures revealed a significantly delayed mobilization (P=.03). Complications occured significantly more often among distal femoral fractures (P=.009), including all revision surgeries. The most frequently encountered complication was loosening of distal locking bolts (n=3). Lysholm score results were mainly influenced by age-related entities and revealed fair results in all fractures (mean in the femoral shaft fracture group, 78.1 vs mean in the distal femoral fracture group, 74.9; P=.69), except in the periprosthetic subgroup, which had good results (mean, 84.8; P=.23). This group also had increased physical parameters according to SF-8 score (P=.026). No correlation existed between SF-8 physical parameters and patient age or surgery delay, whereas a negative correlation existed between patient age and SF-8 mental parameters (P=.012). Retrograde femoral intramedullary nailing is commonly used in elderly patients due to reliable bone healing, minimal soft tissue damage, and immediate full weight bearing. It also offers a valid alternative to antegrade nailing in femoral shaft fractures.

Comparison of the 95-degree angled blade plate and the locking condylar plate for the treatment of distal femoral fractures

OBJECTIVES

In the distal femur, locked plating is efficacious when coronal fractures preclude the use of a conventional fixed-angle device. However, minimal comparative data exist for supracondylar fracture patterns, which could be treated with other devices. The purpose of this study was to compare the 95-degree angled blade plate (ABP) versus the Locking Condylar Plate (LCP) by assessing complications and secondary procedures in fractures amenable to treatment with either implant.

DESIGN

Retrospective review.

SETTING

Level 1 trauma center.

PATIENTS/PARTICIPANTS

Seventy patients with 71 distal femoral fractures (OTA 33-A, 33-C1, 33-C2) amenable to either ABP or LCP with a mean age of 59.5 years (range, 20-92 years) were included. Seventeen fractures (24%) occurred adjacent to a previous knee arthroplasty (10 ABP and 7 LCP). The 2 groups were similar with respect to age, fracture pattern, and the presence of open fracture. Most injuries were the result of high-energy trauma, and 21% were open fractures.

INTERVENTION

Thirty-two fractures (45%) were treated with an ABP, and 39 (55%) were treated with the LCP.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Complications, including infection, nonunion, and malunion, and secondary operations were determined.

RESULTS

After a mean of 26-month follow-up, 4 patients (6.0%) were treated for infections. Malunions occurred in 11% of LCP patients and in 1 ABP patient (3.4%, P = 0.14). All patients with malunions were older than 55 years. Seven patients (11%) were treated for nonunions. Six of the nonunions occurred after LCP (16% vs. 3.4%, P = 0.11) Complications were more frequent in LCP patients (35%) versus ABP patients (10%, P = 0.001). Complications were not related to fracture pattern, periprosthetic fracture, or open fracture. Mean age of patients with complications was 64 years (vs. 53 years, P = 0.01), and they were more likely to have lower energy mechanisms (P = 0.017). Overall, 18 patients (27%) underwent secondary procedures, including treatment of infection, nonunion, malunion, or prominent implant removal. Secondary procedures were more common after LCP (43%) versus ABP (6.9%, P = 0.0008) patients. Painful prominent implants were removed from 7 LCP patients (18%) and no ABP patients (P = 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Distal femur fractures are often associated with prolonged healing and rehabilitation times, which increase substantially when complications occur. Internal fixation of these fractures may be performed successfully with ABP or LCP. In our review of fractures that could be treated with either implant, patients treated with locking plates had more complications and nonunions, requiring more secondary procedures to treat complications and to remove prominent implants. Furthermore, locking plates are substantially more expensive than conventional fixed-angle devices. Future investigation is needed in the form of a large randomized prospective study to clearly define clinical differences, functional outcomes, and costs of care.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Therapeutic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.