Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
9
pubmed:dateCreated
2000-12-11
pubmed:abstractText
Between 1981 and 1994 at the Bergmannsheil Ruhr University Hospital in Bochum, Germany, we treated 145 patients with femoral diaphyseal nonunions following initial operative treatment. Of these patients, 138 received this initial operative treatment at an outside institution. The primary reconstructions for the fractures utilized plates in 112 cases, reamed nails in 24 cases and external fixators in 9 cases. The average age of the patients was 35 years and the mean time from the initial operative treatment was 2 years. Twenty-seven patients (19%) presented with a hypertrophic nonunion and 118 (81%) with an atrophic nonunion. There was a significant correlation between primary "classic" plating and development of an atrophic nonunion (chi 2-test: P < 0.01). We observed 34 wound infections (23%) with no significant correlation to the type of primary osteosynthesis. We determined that 73 of the pseudarthroses were due to improper osteosynthesis techniques. Of these cases, 41% involved the use of plates, 83% involved the use of reamed nails, and 78% involved the use of external fixators. Fracture location near the diaphyseal-metaphyseal junctions was common in this problematic group. Ninety-two percent of all plates led to atrophic nonunions. There were 21 open fractures and of these 90% (n = 19) developed an atrophic pseudarthrosis and 29% (n = 6) developed a wound infection. Fifty-seven (39%) of all patients had additional injuries, but we found that did not increase the risk of disturbed bone healing. Our revision operations focused on the elimination of wound infections, refreshment of bone healing, and improvement in fragment stability. Only 28% of all "classic" plates and 11% of all external fixators were changed to an intramedullary implant at the time of the first revision surgery. Hypertrophic nonunions required a mean of 1.3 revision operations to achieve bone healing whereas a mean of 2 revision operations were necessary to fuse atrophic bone ends (P < 0.05). In cases of diaphyseal pseudarthrosis healing time was not affected by the type of osteosynthesis used for primary reconstructions. Since lack of fracture healing can often already be observed directly from postoperative X-rays, we recommend that revision procedures be performed early. The prolonged length of time to care for femoral nonunions underlines the importance of appropriate primary fracture treatment. That takes into consideration both the biomechanical and the biological aspects of bone healing.
pubmed:language
ger
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Sep
pubmed:issn
0009-4722
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:volume
71
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
1098-106
pubmed:dateRevised
2006-11-15
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed-meshheading:11043127-Adolescent, pubmed-meshheading:11043127-Adult, pubmed-meshheading:11043127-Aged, pubmed-meshheading:11043127-Aged, 80 and over, pubmed-meshheading:11043127-Child, pubmed-meshheading:11043127-Child, Preschool, pubmed-meshheading:11043127-Female, pubmed-meshheading:11043127-Femoral Fractures, pubmed-meshheading:11043127-Fracture Fixation, Internal, pubmed-meshheading:11043127-Fracture Fixation, Intramedullary, pubmed-meshheading:11043127-Fracture Healing, pubmed-meshheading:11043127-Humans, pubmed-meshheading:11043127-Male, pubmed-meshheading:11043127-Middle Aged, pubmed-meshheading:11043127-Postoperative Complications, pubmed-meshheading:11043127-Pseudarthrosis, pubmed-meshheading:11043127-Reoperation, pubmed-meshheading:11043127-Surgical Wound Infection, pubmed-meshheading:11043127-Treatment Failure
pubmed:year
2000
pubmed:articleTitle
[Diaphyseal femur pseudarthroses--only a technical problem?].
pubmed:affiliation
Chirurgische Universitätsklinik und Poliklinik, Berufsgenossenschaftliche Kliniken Bergmannsheil Bochum.
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article, English Abstract