Open AccessTreatment of impending and actual pathological femoral fractures with the long gamma nail in The Netherlands
Author(s) -
van Doorn Ron,
Stapert Jouwert W. J. L.
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
european journal of surgery
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1741-9271
pISSN - 1102-4151
DOI - 10.1080/110241500750009366
Subject(s) - medicine , surgery , nail (fastener) , pathological , fat embolism , incidence (geometry) , retrospective cohort study , femur , materials science , physics , optics , metallurgy
Objective: To compare the results of stabilising impending and actual pathological femoral fractures using the long Gamma nail with the published results of other methods. Design: Retrospective study. Setting: 20 hospitals throughout The Netherlands. Patients: 101 patients with metastases in 110 femurs, which were stabilised with a long Gamma nail. Main outcome measures: Functional results and complications. Results: Minimum follow‐up was 1.5 years or until death, Mean survival was 12 months (range 0–82). 14 patients died in hospital; 5 had technical complications and fat embolism was suspected in 3 patients. 92% of the patients became mobile and pain was absent or acceptable in 93%. Conclusion: The use of the long Gamma nail produces better functional results, fewer technical complications, and an incidence of general complications no different from those reported for other methods. Copyright © 2000 Taylor and Francis Ltd.