My Orthopedic Surgery

OTA paper 2004: Improvement by Using a Standard Protocol in Cases of Femoral Shaft Fractures:
The purpose of this study was to describe a program of quality improvement and a subsequent protocol that have resulted in a reduction of missed femoral neck fractures in patients with femoral shaft fractures

J Bone Joint Surg Br. 1983 Nov;65(5):584-7. The influence on the spine of leg-length discrepancy after femoral fracture.Gibson PH, Papaioannou T, Kenwright J.
We investigated the spines of 15 patients who had significant leg-length inequality as a result of femoral shaft fractures sustained after skeletal maturity but below the age of 21 years. The patients were examined at least 10 years after fracture. The spines were studied clinically and radiographically before and after correction of leg-length inequality with a shoe-raise. Lateral spinal flexion was measured from radiographs. The lumbar scoliosis associated with the leg-length inequality was compensatory: after equalisation of leg-length the overall curve and the axial rotation were corrected completely. There was also an equal range of lateral flexion to either side after correction. Minor malalignments of the whole spine remained despite correction of the compensatory scoliosis, and within the lumbar spine correction of the scoliosis had not occurred equally at all levels. No patients complained of significant discomfort and neither structural abnormalities nor degenerative changes were seen on the radiographs.

Mitkovic 2001 Facta Universitatis Vol. 8, No 1, 2001 pp. 50 - 53 Abstract -> Full Text
New internal fixator that provides fixation while application can be performed by minimally invasive method with no contact between the implant and bone fragment in fracture area. The device is selfdynamisible.

OTA Paper 1998 Robert F. Ostrum, MD; Animesh Agarwal, MD; Ronald Lakatos, MD; Attila Poka, MD
The purpose of this study was to prospectively and critically examine a consecutive series of femur fractures treated with either antegrade or retrograde intramedullary nailing.

OTA Paper 2004 Archdeacon et al
The purpose of this study was to prospectively analyze hip abductor function at two discrete time points after a femur fracture treated with intramedullary nailing.

OTA paper 1998 Randomized Clinical Trial: The objective of this clinical trial was to determine if the type of intramedullary nail fixation (IMN) in acute femoral shaft fractures affects pulmonary function.

OTA paper 2004: We investigated whether the presence of head injury is associated with accelerated bone healing in patients with femoral shaft fractures.

OTA paper 2004: A Prospective Randomized Evaluation: Purpose: We compared anterograde with retrograde nailing of isolated femoral shaft fractures.
Conclusions: Anterograde and retrograde nailing are both acceptable treatments for femoral shaft fractures.

AO Classification of Femoral Shaft Fractures

Reports from Medscape Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine 1999
Ipsilateral femoral neck and shaft fractures
Fracture Healing in Tibia Fractures With an Associated Vascular Injury
The Treatment of Lisfranc Injuries
Open Fractures of the Patella: Long-term Functional Outcome

OTA Paper 1998:
Purpose: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of this two-stage treatment, we retrospectively reviewed the records of 63 polytrauma patients with 69 femoral fractures treated with conversion of external fixation to IM nailing from 1989 to 1997 at our institution.

eMedicine article on diaphyseal femur fractures.
Orthopedic surgeons often encounter diaphyseal femur fractures. Because these fractures most often result from high-energy trauma, one must have a high index of suspension for complications or other injuries.

OTA Paper 1998: The purpose of the study was to evaluate the subjective and objective incidence of knee pain after retrograde management of femoral shaft fractures and compare these results with patients managed by traditional antegrade management.

OTA Poster 2004: The purpose of this study was to examine a large population of patients treated with intramedullary nailing to determine factors associated with increased radiation exposure.

Medscape 2002. Reports from the OTA Conference. Features reports on arthroscopically assisted retrograde nailing of femur fractures in adults and treatment of femoral shaft fractures in children