A CLINICAL STUDY OF PROXIMAL FEMUR NAIL (PFN) IN THE MANAGEMENT OF COMMUNITED INTERTROCHANTERIC FRACTURES OF THE FEMUR

Abstract

S. Hari Babu1, K. Satish2, G. Suresh Babu3, E. Naresh4

Fractures of proximal femur and hip are relatively common injuries in elderly individuals. Incidence has increased primarily due to increasing life span and more sedentary lifestyle brought by urbanization. In younger population, Inter trochanteric fracture is usually the result of high- energy injury, such as motor vehicle accident or fall from height. All treatment modalities are aimed at preventing malunion and deformity. This study consist of 56 cases of comminuted intertrochanteric fractures & sub trochanteric fractures, selected randomly and treated by PFN (intramedullary device) and evaluation of their clinical outcome. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The present study consists of 56 elderly patients with intertrochanteric & sub trochanteric fractures of femur who were treated with PFN in Department of Orthopaedics S.V.R.R.G.G.H, Tirupati during the period of Oct 2010 to Sep 2015. This study was carried out to study the results of intertrochanteric & sub trochanteric fractures treated with PFN. All the 56 patients were followed up at regular interval. Inclusion Criteria included Adult Patients with comminuted trochanteric & sub trochanteric fractures. Exclusion Criteria include, Open fractures, Pathological fractures, Pediatric fractures, Patients associated with polytrauma. CONCLUSION From the study, we consider PFN as better option in the treatment of comminuted intertrochanteric & sub trochanteric fractures but is technically difficult procedure and requires more expertise. As learning curve of PFN procedure is steep, with experience gained from each case operative time, radiation exposure and intraoperative complications can be reduced in each case of PFN.

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