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. 2009 Oct 10;1(2):e18.
doi: 10.4081/or.2009.e18.

External fixation of "intertrochanteric" fractures

Naseem Ul Gani  1 , Khursheed Ahmed Kangoo, Arshad Bashir, Rahil Muzaffer, Mohammad Farooq Bhat, Munir Farooq, Abdul Rashid Badoo, Imtiyaz Hussian Dar, Mudassir Maqbool Wani
Affiliations

External fixation of "intertrochanteric" fractures

Naseem Ul Gani et al. Orthop Rev (Pavia). .

Abstract

In developing countries, due to limited availability of modern anesthesia and overcrowding of the hospitals with patients who need surgery, high-risk patients with "intertrochanteric" fractures remain unsuita ble for open reduction and internal fixation.The aim of this study was to analyze the results of external fixation of "intertrochanteric" fractures in high-risk geriatric patients in a developing country.The results of 62 ambulatory high-risk geriatric patients with a mean age of 70 years (range 58-90 years) with "intertrochanteric" fractures, in whom external fixation was performed, are reported.Eight patients died during follow-up due to medical causes unrelated to the surgical procedure. So only 54 patients were available for final assessment. Procedure is simple, performed under local anesthesia, requires less time for surgery and is associated with less blood loss. Good fixation and early ambulation was achieved in most of the patients. Average time to union was 14 weeks. Thirty-one patients developed superficial pin tract infection and 28 patients had average shortening of 15 mm due to impaction and varus angulation. Functional outcome was assessed using Judet's point system. Good to excellent results were achieved in 44 patients.This study demonstrated that external fixation of "intertrochantric" fractures performed under local anesthesia offers significant advantage in ambulatory high-risk geriatric patients especially in a developing country.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest: the authors reported no potential conflicts of interests.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Pre operative radoigraph.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Immediate post operative radiograph.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Radiograph at 14 weeks.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Radiograph after removal of the fixator.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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