Management of subtrochanteric femoral fractures and metastases using long proximal femoral nail

Abstract

We report our initial experience with a new reconstruction nail, the long proximal femoral nail (L.PFN), in the treatment of subtrochanteric femoral fractures and metastases. We performed 52 L.PFN in 49 patients over a period of 18 months with an average follow-up period of 47.7 weeks. Group I consisted of 24 patients, who had L.PFN for traumatic subtrochanteric femoral fractures. Group II consisted of 25 patients, who had L.PFN for femoral metastases and pathological fractures. (Three bilateral.) In nine patients in group I, the fracture was extending to the intertrochnateric region with involvement of the piriformis fossa. Eight patients in group I had open reduction and cerclage cabling of the fracture prior to L.PFN. All the traumatic fractures in group I had united with an average time to union of 19.4 weeks. In eight operations there were technical difficulties with the insertion of proximal locking screws. Five patients in our series had complications but we had no mechanical failures of the implant. L.PFN is a reliable implant for subtrochanteric femoral fractures and metastases. We also showed that open reduction and cerclage cabling of unstable subtrochanteric fractures prior to nailing was not detrimental to fracture healing in our series.