Stable Fixation and Immediate Weight-bearing Following Combined Retrograde Intramedullary Nailing (IMN) and Open Reduction Internal Fixation(ORIF) of Non-comminuted Distal Interprosthetic Femur Fractures

SUMMARYWith an aging population, treatment of interprosthetic femur fractures continues to pose a challenge to the orthopedic surgeon. Retrograde IMN combined with open reduction internal fixation utilizing a tissue-preserving plating technique was used in our series of 9 patients with non-comminuted, distal femur fractures. No interfragmentary screws, cables, cerclage wires, or supplemental bone grafts of any type were used. Each patient initiated weight-bearing as tolerated following operative intervention. Every fracture healed at an average of 20 weeks (range 18 to 24 weeks). Use of a lateral locking plate combined with a retrograde IMN enables immediate post-operative weight-bearing and stable fixation for patients with interprosthetic femur fractures.