Distal Femoral Fixation: A Laboratory Comparison of the 95° Plate, Antegrade and Retrograde Inserted Reamed Intramedullary Nails
- 1 August 1996
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health) in Journal of Orthopaedic Trauma
- Vol. 10 (6), 378-382
- https://doi.org/10.1097/00005131-199608000-00003
Abstract
A biomechanical cadaver study was performed to compare the stability of three standard distal femoral fixation techniques. Eighteen mildly osteoporotic femurs were selected, based on a dual-energy x-ray absorption scanning bone density of 0.3-0.5 g/cm2 and a Singh index of III-IV. After initial mechanical characterization of these intact femurs, a distal femoral osteotomy was created, reduced, and stabilized under compression using random assignment to one of three methods of fixation: (a) six-hole 95 degrees supracondylar plate, (b) retrograde inserted statically locked supracondylar intramedullary nail, and (c) antegrade inserted statically locked Russell-Taylor nail. The instrumented femurs were mechanically tested, a 1-cm gap created, and the femurs retested. The specimens were finally loaded to failure in A-P three-point bending. The 95 degrees plate provided significantly stiffer fixation than the supracondylar intramedullary nail or Russell-Taylor nail in both a compressed transverse and gap distal femoral osteotomy model. The Russell-Taylor nail provided the least rigid fixation. The 95 degrees plate and Russell-Taylor nail had statistically significant greater loads to failure than the supracondylar intramedullary nail. These results support the use of a 95 degrees plate when maximum rigidity of fixation or maximum compression is desired.Keywords
This publication has 14 references indexed in Scilit:
- Mechanics of Retrograde Nail Versus Plate Fixation for Supracondylar Femur FracturesJournal of Orthopaedic Trauma, 1995
- Distal Femoral Nonunion: Treatment with a Retrograde Inserted Locked Intramedullary NailJournal of Orthopaedic Trauma, 1995
- Initial Experience with the Treatment of Supracondylar Femoral Fractures Using the Supracondylar Intramedullary Nail: A Preliminary ReportJournal of Orthopaedic Trauma, 1994
- Intramedullary Supracondylar Nailing of Femoral FracturesClinical Orthopaedics and Related Research, 1993
- Treatment of femoral supracondylar unstable comminuted fracturesArchives of orthopaedic and trauma surgery, 1992
- Interlocking intramedullary nailing for ipsilateral fractures of the femoral shaft and distal part of the femur.The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery, 1991
- Distal Femoral Nonunion Treated with Interlocking NailingJournal Of Trauma-Injury Infection and Critical Care, 1991
- The Grosse-Kempf nail for distal femoral fractures: 2-year follow-up of 25 casesActa Orthopaedica, 1990
- Treatment of Supracondylar-Intracondylar Fractures of the Femur Using the Dynamic Condylar ScrewJournal of Orthopaedic Trauma, 1989
- Density of fresh and embalmed human compact and cancellous boneAmerican Journal of Physical Anthropology, 1968