Injury
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Multicenter Study Clinical Trial
The AO/ASIF-proximal femoral nail (PFN): a new device for the treatment of unstable proximal femoral fractures.
Currently available intramedullary devices for the treatment of unstable pertrochanteric femoral fractures are technically demanding and show a considerable failure rate due to their massiveness and the persistent rotational instability of the head-neck fragment. The Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Osteosynthesefragen (AO/ASIF) therefore designed a new intramedullary device, the proximal femoral nail (PFN), which during a handling study was tested in 4 European clinics. ⋯ One patient showed a cut-out of the implant but there were no mechanical failures (bending, breaking of the implant) or ipsilateral fractures of the femoral shaft at the tip of the implant. It is therefore concluded that the results of this new implant compare favourably to the currently available implants for the treatment of the unstable pertrochanteric femoral fracture.
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Multicenter Study
Displaced intracapsular neck of femur fractures in mobile independent patients: total hip replacement or hemiarthroplasty?
The aim of this study was to compare the outcome of total hip replacement (THR) with hemiarthroplasty in mobile and socially independent patients with displaced intracapsular fractured neck of femur. Thirty-two patients who had been treated by THR were reviewed after a mean of 3.7 years and compared with 42 patients who had been treated by hemiarthroplasty who were reviewed at 3.9 years. At follow-up none of the THRs had required revision whereas 38% of the hemiarthroplasties had required conversion to THR. ⋯ The modified Harris Hip score rated 86% of THRs as 'good' or 'excellent,' whereas only 12% of the remaining hemiarthroplasties achieved a similar rating. Seventy-seven percent of the patients who had received a THR estimated that they could walk more than a mile compared to 27% of the remaining hemiarthroplasties. THR gave a vastly superior functional outcome compared to hemiarthroplasty in this group of patients.
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Multicenter Study
Long-term results of unstable pelvic ring fractures in children.
Seventeen patients less than 12 years old sustained unstable pelvic ring fractures and were treated non-operatively. They were followed for 2 to 25 years. ⋯ Five patients complained about chronic back pain, two were functionally impaired by severe pelvic asymmetry. Healing of an unstable pelvic fracture in malposition with asymmetry causes poor results and must be prevented.
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Multicenter Study Clinical Trial
Injury of knee ligament associated with ipsilateral femoral shaft fractures and with ipsilateral femoral and tibial shaft fractures.
A series of 110 patients with 114 fractures of the femur were reviewed an average of 3.9 years after injury. Demonstrable knee ligament laxity was present in 31 (27 per cent) of these patients, while 13 (11 per cent) complained of instability. Thirty-three patients with 34 ipsilateral femoral and tibial shaft fractures were examined an average of 3.7 years after injury. ⋯ Most of the patients with instability had a rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament with or without damage to other ligaments. We conclude that knee ligament injury is more common with ipsilateral fracture of the femur and tibia than with just a single ipsilateral femoral fracture. We advocate careful assessment of the knee in all cases of fracture of the femur.