Ipsilateral fractures of the femoral neck and shaft

Abstract

Thirty-three patients with ipsilateral intracapsular femoral neck and shaft fractures were treated with antegrade reamed intramedullary (IM) nails and cancellous screw fixation of the femoral neck. The shaft fractures were fixed prior to definitive neck stabilization. A "reversed" nail construct was used in 13 patients, a conventional interlocked nail was used in 6, and a reconstruction nail was used in the remaining 14. Thirty-one (94%) of the femoral shaft fractures healed primarily. In two patients, the shaft fracture failed to unite and was bone grafted and plated, respectively; the fractures subsequently healed. However, only 27 (82%) of the femoral neck fractures healed after initial fixation. In six patients (18%), a symptomatic varus nonunion developed, requiring a valgus osteotomy. Five of the six femoral neck non-unions and all of the osteotomy sites united; however, two of these patients later developed osteonecrosis of their femoral heads. Closed reamed antegrade IM nailing with supplemental screw fixation of ipsilateral femoral neck and shaft fractures did not produce uniformly successful results because of high rates of varus nonunion of the femoral neck fracture.