Retrograde Nailing in Femur Supracondylar Fracture

Kwon, Jin Woo; Shin, Sung Ho; Cho, Won Ho; Sung, Ki Ho; Kim, Ki Han; Sohn, Kyong Tae; Lee, Sang Hoon; Park, Se Won; Bae, Jong Moon; Kwon, Tae Woo

Abstract

PURPOSE: We retrospectively analysed the result of retrograde supracondylar nail fixation in femur supracondylar fractures and evaluate the clinical effectiveness of this method.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Since October 1998 we have treated 14 supracondylar fractures (AO type: A2-6, A3-1, C1-3 and C2-4) by retrograde intramedullary nailing technique through trans-patellar tendon approach from October 1998 to June 2001 and followed more than 1 year.
RESULTS
Among 14 cases, 5 cases were excellent, 6 good, 3 fair according to Schatzker functional result. The complications were 1 distal locking screw loosening, 1 delayed union and 1 fracture around proximal locking site.
CONCLUSION
Even though the retrograde nailing may damage the knee joint because it is inserted by opening up the joint, it provided the necessary stable fixation with short operation time, low blood loss, minimal soft tissue injury. Thus we believe that retrograde nailing is useful operative technique for the management of supracondylar fracture in osteoporotic, communited fractures, or open fractures.