Supracondylar nailing for difficult distal femur fractures

A Saw, CP Lau
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University Malaya Medical Center, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

PURPOSE. To evaluate outcome following supracondylar nailing for distal femur fractures.

METHODS. The clinical and radiological outcome for 13 patients treated between January 1995 and December 1998 at the University Malaya Medical Center was assessed. Patients were seen for follow-up for a mean duration of 20.2 months.

RESULTS. There were no cases of non-union or infection. Overall assessment of clinical outcome based on the criteria of Schatzker and Lambert was graded excellent in 6 patients, good in 3 patients, fair in 3 patients, and one graded as a failure.

CONCLUSION. Supracondylar nailing for fixation of supracondylar (Arbeitsgemeinschaft fur Osteosynthesefragen [AO] type A) and less comminuted intercondylar (AO type C1 and C2) fractures is recommended by the authors.