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Pertrochanteric fractures in elderly patients represent a major health issue. The available surgical options are fixation with extramedullary devices, intramedullary nailing, and arthroplasty. Intramedullary nailing for hip fractures has become more popular in recent years. Advantages of intramedullary nailing for hip fracture fixation include a more efficient load transfer due to the proximity of the implant to the medial calcar, less implant strain and shorter lever arm because of its closer positioning to the mechanical axis of the femur, significantly less soft tissue disruption and periosteal stripping of the femoral cortex, shorter operative time and hospital stay, fewer blood transfusions, better postoperative walking ability, and lower rates of leg-length discrepancy. Compromise of the posteromedial cortex and/or the lateral cortex, a subtrochanteric extension of the fracture, and a reversed obliquity fracture pattern represent signs of fracture instability, warranting the use of intramedullary nailing. However, the use of intramedullary nailing, with its unique set of clinical implications, has introduced a new set of complications. The reported complications include malalignment, cutout, infection, false drilling, wrong lag screw length and drill bit breakage during the interlocking procedure, external or internal malrotation (≥20°) of the femoral diaphysis, elongation of the femur (2 cm), impaired bone healing, periprosthetic fracture distal to the tip of the nail, fracture collapse, implant failure, lag screw intrapelvic migration, neurovascular injury, secondary varus deviation, complications after implant removal, trochanteric pain, and refracture. Many of these complications are related to technical mistakes. This article reviews intramedullary nailing for the treatment of pertrochanteric femoral fractures, with an emphasis on complications. [Orthopedics. 2016; 39(1):e108–e116.]
The authors thank Constantinos E. Nikolopoulos, MD, Professor of Orthopaedics, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece, for his mentoring in treating hip fractures.
The authors are from the First Department of Orthopaedics (AFM, GNP, PDM, VGI, IG, CTV, PKoulouvaris, VAK, PJP) and the Third Department of Orthopaedics (PKarabinas, JV), National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
The authors have no relevant financial relationships to disclose.
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