Biomaterial Database

Closed locked intramedullary nailing of femoral shaft fractures in the elderly. 2003

Thomas A DeCoster, and Richard A Miller

Department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation, University of New Mexico, Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM 87131-5296, USA.

A review was performed of all patients over the age of 60 years who were treated with a locked intramedullary nail for a femoral shaft fracture. There were 15 patients with 16 femoral shaft fractures. Four patients died perioperatively. Of the surviving 11 patients with 12 fractures, union occurred in 100 percent. Knee range of motion was greater than 100 degrees in 11 of the 12 knees. Nine of the 11 patients returned to their preoperative level of ambulation. Intramedullary nailing of femoral shaft fractures in patients over the age of 60 years is an effective method of treatment. The mortality rate in elderly patients who sustain this injury is comparable to that seen after a femoral neck fracture in this age.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008297	Male		Males
D008875	Middle Aged	An adult aged 45 - 64 years.	Middle Age
D005260	Female		Females
D005264	Femoral Fractures	Fractures of the femur.	Femoral Fracture,Fracture, Femoral,Fractures, Femoral
D005594	Fracture Fixation, Intramedullary	The use of nails that are inserted into bone cavities in order to keep fractured bones together.	Intramedullary Nailing,Nailing, Intramedullary,Osteosynthesis, Fracture, Intramedullary,Fixation, Intramedullary Fracture,Fixations, Intramedullary Fracture,Fracture Fixations, Intramedullary,Intramedullary Fracture Fixation,Intramedullary Fracture Fixations,Intramedullary Nailings,Nailings, Intramedullary
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000367	Age Factors	Age as a constituent element or influence contributing to the production of a result. It may be applicable to the cause or the effect of a circumstance. It is used with human or animal concepts but should be differentiated from AGING, a physiological process, and TIME FACTORS which refers only to the passage of time.	Age Reporting,Age Factor,Factor, Age,Factors, Age
D000368	Aged	A person 65 years of age or older. For a person older than 79 years, AGED, 80 AND OVER is available.	Elderly
D000369	Aged, 80 and over	Persons 80 years of age and older.	Oldest Old
D012189	Retrospective Studies	Studies used to test etiologic hypotheses in which inferences about an exposure to putative causal factors are derived from data relating to characteristics of persons under study or to events or experiences in their past. The essential feature is that some of the persons under study have the disease or outcome of interest and their characteristics are compared with those of unaffected persons.	Retrospective Study,Studies, Retrospective,Study, Retrospective