Femoral fracture at the proximal end of an intramedullary supracondylar nail: a case report

Am J Orthop (Belle Mead NJ). 1999 Jan;28(1):53-5.

Abstract

Retrograde intramedullary supracondylar nails have been added to the orthopedic armamentarium for treatment of distal femoral fractures. Major complications of this new technique have not been noted. We report a case of a femoral fracture at the proximal end of a retrograde intramedullary supracondylar nail. We hypothesize that this complication may be due to the proximal end of the nail acting as a stress riser, with the cortical holes drilled for the interlocking screws compounding this effect.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Accidents, Traffic
  • Adult
  • Bone Nails / adverse effects*
  • Femoral Fractures / diagnostic imaging
  • Femoral Fractures / etiology
  • Femoral Fractures / surgery*
  • Femur Head / injuries*
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Fracture Fixation, Intramedullary / instrumentation*
  • Fracture Fixation, Intramedullary / methods
  • Fracture Healing / physiology
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Radiography
  • Range of Motion, Articular
  • Recurrence