From the Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology,

and the Department of Pediatric Surgery, University of Helsinki;

and the Research Institute of Military Medicine, Central Military Hospital, Helsinki

FEMORAL SHAFT FRACTURES IN ADULTS:

EPIDEMIOLOGY, FRACTURE PATTERNS, NONUNIONS,
AND FATIGUE FRACTURES

A clinical study

Sari Salminen

Academic dissertation

To be presented with the permission of

The Faculty of Medicine of the University of Helsinki,
for public discussion in the Auditorium of the Tl Hospital,
Helsinki University Central Hospital, on June 29th, 2005, at 12 oclock noon.

Helsinki 2005
Supervised by
Docent Ole Bstman, M.D., Ph.D.
Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology
Helsinki University Central Hospital
Helsinki, Finland

Docent Harri Pihlajamki, M.D., Ph.D.

Department of Surgery and Research Institute of Military Medicine
Central Military Hospital
Helsinki, Finland

Reviewed by
Docent Matti U.K. Lehto, M.D., Ph.D.
Coxa, Hospital for Joint Replacement
Tampere, Finland

Professor Erkki Tukiainen, M.D., Ph.D.

Department of Plastic Surgery
Helsinki University Central Hospital
Helsinki, Finland

To be discussed with
Professor Heikki Krger, M.D., Ph.D.
Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology
Kuopio University Hospital
Kuopio, Finland

ISBN 952-91-8891-9 (bound)

ISBN 952-10-2523-9 (PDF)
Helsinki University Printing House
Helsinki 2005
To my family
4
CONTENTS

ABSTRACT ............................................................................................................... 7

LIST OF ORIGINAL PUBLICATIONS ..................................................................... 8

ABBREVIATIONS ..................................................................................................... 9

1. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................ 11

2. REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE ......................................................................... 13

2.1. Definition of the femoral shaft .................................................................... 13
2.2. Anatomy of the femoral shaft ...................................................................... 13
2.3. Biomechanics of long bone fractures ........................................................... 17
2.4. Fracture healing, delayed union and nonunion of diaphyseal bone .............. 21
2.5. Classifications of femoral shaft fractures in adults ...................................... 22
2.6. Fracture mechanisms and injuries causing traumatic femoral shaft
fractures ....................................................................................................... 24
2.7. Etiology of fatigue fractures of the femoral shaft ........................................ 26
2.8. Demography and incidence of femoral shaft fractures ................................ 29
2.9. Location, morphology, and soft-tissue injuries of femoral shaft fractures ..... 32
2.10. Concomitant injuries associated with femoral shaft fractures ................... 35
2.11. Diagnosis and treatment of femoral shaft fractures ................................... 38
2.11.1. Clinical course ............................................................................... 38
2.11.2. Radiographic findings .................................................................... 39
2.12. Treatment of femoral shaft fractures in adults .......................................... 40
2.12.1. Development of conservative treatment of femoral shaft
fractures ........................................................................................ 40
2.12.2. Traction ......................................................................................... 40
2.12.3. Cast bracing .................................................................................. 41
2.12.4. Development of operative treatment of femoral shaft fractures ... 42
2.12.5. Plate fixation .................................................................................. 45
2.12.6. External fixation ............................................................................ 45
2.12.7. Intramedullary nailing .................................................................... 46
2.12.7.1. Principle of intramedullary nailing ................................. 46
2.12.7.2. Technique of intramedullary nailing and aftertreatment .. 51
2.13. Outcome and complications of the treatment of femoral shaft fractures ..... 54
2.13.1. Fracture union ............................................................................... 54
2.13.2. Complications ................................................................................ 55

3. AIMS OF THE PRESENT STUDY ...................................................................... 65

4. PATIENTS AND METHODS ............................................................................... 66

4.1. Definitions used in the study (I, II, III, IV) ................................................. 66
4.2. Patient data (I, II, III, IV) ............................................................................ 68

5
 4.3. Study arrangement (I, II, III, IV) ................................................................ 69
4.4. Fracture management (II, III, IV) ............................................................... 70
4.5. Follow-up time (II, II, IV) ........................................................................... 72
4.6. Statistical methods (I, II, III, IV) ................................................................ 72

5. RESULTS .............................................................................................................. 73
5.1. Demography of femoral shaft fractures in adults (I, II, III) ....................... 73
5.2. Injury mechanism (I, II, IV) or activity during fracture onset (III) ............ 75
5.3. Concomitant injuries (I, II, III, IV) .............................................................. 79
5.4. Fracture characteristics (I, II, III, IV) ........................................................ 79
5.5. Outcome and complications of fracture treatment (II, III, IV) ................... 84

6. GENERAL DISCUSSION .................................................................................... 100

6.1. Incidence of femoral shaft fractures ............................................................ 100
6.2. Injury season and injury mechanisms of femoral shaft fractures in adults .... 103
6.3. Concomitant injuries related to femoral shaft fractures in adults ................. 103
6.4. Morphology of femoral shaft fractures in adults ......................................... 104
6.5. Treatment, outcome, and complications of femoral shaft fractures in
adults ............................................................................................................. 105
6.6. Prevention of femoral shaft fractures .......................................................... 108

7. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS ...................................................................... 109

7.1. Demography of femoral shaft fractures in adults ....................................... 109
7.2. Morphology of femoral shaft fractures in adults ......................................... 109
7.3. Treatment of femoral shaft fractures and nonunions in adults .................... 110
7.4. Prevention of femoral shaft fractures in adults ............................................ 110

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ........................................................................................ 113

REFERENCES ........................................................................................................... 115

ORIGINAL PUBLICATIONS .................................................................................... 147

6
ABSTRACT

The femur (thigh bone) is the longest, strongest, largest and heaviest tubular bone in the
human body, and one of the principal load-bearing bones in the lower extremity. Femoral
shaft fractures are among the most common major injuries that an orthopaedic surgeon
will be required to treat. Although demographic data of the patients have been analyzed in
some epidemiologic studies, little attention has been paid to the characterization of the
fracture patterns of femoral shaft fractures using morphologic classification systems.

Femoral shaft fractures are commonly thought to be primarily associated with severe
trauma in young persons. Low energy violence as a cause of these fractures, especially
among the elderly, has been mentioned only sporadically in epidemiologic studies. Anoth-
er subgroup of operatively treated femoral shaft fractures are displaced fatigue fractures
of the femoral diaphysis, which mainly occur among military trainees.

The concept of intramedullary fixation in the treatment of femoral shaft fractures has
gained wide acceptance. Delayed union or nonunion following intramedullary nailing of
the femur has been considered an infrequent clinical problem. As a consequence of the
more frequent use of intramedullary nailing for the treatment of femoral shaft fractures,
an increasing number of orthopaedic surgeons will be confronted with this complication.

The present study shows that femoral shaft fractures in adults are not exclusively the
result of high energy trauma. Low energy trauma can cause 25% of the fractures. Fem-
oral shaft fractures caused by low energy violence mainly occur in patients suffering
from a chronic disease or a condition causing osteopenia of the femur. In displaced
femoral shaft fatigue fractures, regardless of the symptoms, the diagnosis can be delayed
until displacement. The incidences of femoral shaft fractures caused by different injuries
vary from 1.5:100 000 person-years to 9.9:100 000 person-years. Most traumatic femo-
ral shaft fractures are isolated without concomitant injuries. The most common fracture
type of the femoral shaft is a non-comminuted simple AO Type A, most of which, in
traumatic fractures, are purely transverse and located in the middle third of the femur.
Spiral fractures that are related to low energy trauma situate in the middle third of the
femur. Displaced fatigue fractures are oblique or oblique-transverse, and located in the
distal third of the femoral shaft. Femoral shaft fractures caused by low energy trauma are
morphologically different from displaced fatigue fractures, which can also be primarily
comminuted.

Factors that predispose traumatic fresh femoral shaft fractures to nonunion after in-
tramedullary nailing are related to severe fracture comminution and concomitant injuries.
Reoperation of traumatic femoral shaft fractures treated with intramedullary nailing should
be performed within six months of the primary nailing to minimize the risk of nail break-
age, if convincing signs of consolidation in progress are lacking. Exchange nailing seems
to be the method of choice for the treatment of a disturbed union. In some selected cases
with primary static interlocking nailing, dynamization alone can be considered. Bone grafting
alone as a treatment of a failed union of a femoral shaft fracture cannot be recommended.

7
LIST OF ORIGINAL PUBLICATIONS

The present study is based on the following articles, referred to in the text by their Roman
numerals:

I Salminen ST, Pihlajamki HK, Avikainen VJ, Bstman OM. Population based epi-
demiologic and morphologic study of femoral shaft fractures. Clin Orthop Relat
Res 372:241-249, 2000

II Salminen S, Pihlajamki H, Avikainen V, Kyr A, Bstman O. Specific features

associated with femoral shaft fractures caused by low energy trauma. J Trauma
43:117-122, 1997

III Salminen ST, Pihlajamki HK, Visuri TI, Bstman OM. Displaced fatigue fractures
of the femoral shaft. Clin Orthop Relat Res 409:250-259, 2003

IV Pihlajamki HK, Salminen ST, Bstman OM. The treatment of nonunions follow-
ing intramedullary nailing of femoral shaft fractures. J Orthop Trauma 16:394-
402, 2002

8
ABBREVIATIONS

ACL anterior cruciate ligament

AO Arbeitsgemeinschaft fr Osteosynthesefragen
AP anteroposterior
ARDS adult respiratory distress syndrome
ASIF Association for the Study of Internal Fixation
BMI body mass index
C closed (intramedullary nailing)
CAB chronic alcohol abuse
cm centimeter (SI)
COPD chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
CT computerized tomography
DCP dynamic compression plate
DCS dynamic condylar screw
DM diabetes mellitus
F female
G-K Grosse-Kempf
IAC intraoperative additional comminution
ICD International Classification of Diseases
IM intramedullary
ISS Injury Severity Score
kg kilogram (SI)
KLR knee ligament rupture
K-S Klemm-Schellmann
L left
LCL lateral collaterale ligament
LISS Less Invasive Stabilization System
M male
m meter (SI)
m. musculus (muscle)
m square meter (SI)
MCL medial collaterale ligament
mm millimeter (SI)
mm cubic millimeter (SI)
mmHg millimeter of mercury
MRI magnetic resonance imaging
N number
ND neuromuscular disorders
Nm Newtonmeter
O open (intramedullary nailing)
OA osteoarthritis
OTA Orthopaedic Trauma Association
p probability
PCL posterior cruciate ligament

9
PF previous major fracture
R right
STIR short tau inversion recovery
T2 transverse relaxation
TP total prosthesis replacement
V-W Vari-Wall
W-H Winquist and Hansen
WHO World Health Organization

10
1. INTRODUCTION

The femur (thigh bone) is the longest, strongest, largest and heaviest tubular bone in the
human body (Moore 1992; Bucholz and Brumback 1996; Schatzker 1996; Platzer 2003;
Whittle and Wood 2003), and one of the principal load-bearing bones in the lower extrem-
ity (Whittle and Wood 2003). Femoral shaft fractures are among the most common major
injuries that an orthopaedic surgeon will be required to treat (Gozna 1982; Whittle and
Wood 2003).

Femoral shaft fractures often result from high energy forces associated with possible
multiple system injuries (Bucholz and Jones 1991; Bucholz and Brumback 1996; Whittle
and Wood 2003). Fractures of the femoral diaphysis can be life-threatening on account of
an open wound, fat embolism, adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) (Zalavras et
al. 2005), or resultant multiple organ failure (Bucholz and Jones 1991; Bucholz and Brum-
back 1996; Keel and Trentz 2005). Femoral shaft fractures can lead to a major physical
impairment, not because of disturbed fracture healing, but rather due to fracture shorten-
ing, fracture malalignment, or prolonged immobilization of the extremity by traction or
casting in an attempt to maintain the fracture length and alignment during the early phases
of healing (Bucholz and Brumback 1996). Even minor degrees of shortening and mala-
lignment can eventuate in a limp and posttraumatic arthritis (Bucholz and Jones 1991;
Bucholz and Brumback 1996). The art of femoral fracture care is a constant balancing of
the often conflicting goals of anatomic alignment and early functional rehabilitation of the
limb (Bucholz and Brumback 1996).

Although most musculoskeletal injuries occur in a predictable manner, as dictated by the

forces involved and the structure of the region, there are always certain fractures that are
unique to each injury (Gozna 1982). Few epidemiologic studies have been published on
femoral shaft fractures. Although demographic data of the patients have been analyzed
(Knowelden, Buhr, Dunbar 1964; Wong 1966; Hedlund and Lindgren 1986; Arneson et al.
1988; Bengnr et al. 1990), little attention has been paid to the characterization of the
fracture patterns using morphologic classification systems. Epidemiologic studies offer
important data contributing to improved fracture treatment or better patient care. Sur-
geons should have knowledge of the spectrum of fractures they treat, not only for an
intrinsic educational value, but also to allow resources to be allocated on the basis of
projected numbers of patients. The ability to predict the level of admissions to a trauma
unit is useful for administrative and training purposes.

Femoral shaft fractures are commonly thought to be primarily associated with severe
trauma in young persons. Low energy violence as a cause of these fractures, especially
among the elderly, has been mentioned only sporadically in epidemiologic studies of frac-
tures of the femoral shaft (Wong 1966; Hedlund and Lindgren 1986; Arneson et al. 1988;
Bengnr et al. 1990). The outcome of tibial shaft fractures caused by low energy mech-
anism has been recently studied (Toivanen 2001). Another subgroup of operatively treat-
ed femoral shaft fractures are displaced fatigue fractures of the femoral diaphysis. Mili-
tary trainees form a relatively homogenous population to be investigated of the epidemio-

11
logic features of fatigue fractures. The trainees are usually affected by undisplaced fa-
tigue (stress) fractures of the lower extremities. Displacement of a fatigue fracture in a
long bone is a rare but serious injury.

The treatment of femoral shaft fractures has always been a focus of interest, but may still
remain a clinical problem, and a subject of controversy. Several techniques have been
developed for the treatment. With the awareness of the advantages, disadvantages, and
limitations of these techniques, an orthopaedic surgeon has the opportunity to avoid pro-
longed morbidity and extensive disability owing to lower extremity injuries (Bucholz and
Brumback 1996; Whittle and Wood 2003). In 1963, Dencker published his thesis of 1003
recent fractures of the femoral shaft in 992 patients treated at the public hospitals of
Sweden during a three-year period from 1952 to 1954 with a follow-up of 4 to 8 years to
analyze the results obtained with different methods of fracture treatment (Dencker 1963).
He concluded that conservative treatment with traction is the method of choice in the
routine management of femoral shaft fractures. Ten years later, as the Kntscher nailing
with reaming and a compression plate osteosynthesis had gained more popularity in frac-
ture management, Kootstra introduced in the Netherlands a study of 335 consecutive
femoral shaft fractures in 329 patients with a statistical analysis of the different methods
of treatment during 1958-1969 (Kootstra 1973). Since the studies of Dencker and Koot-
stra, the changes over the 30-40 years have introduced a new preferential fracture treat-
ment in intramedullary nailing with extended indications, nailing types (unreamed nailing
or retrograde nailing), and diverse nail materials. The concept of intramedullary fixation in
the treatment of femoral shaft fractures has gained wide acceptance, yet the the litera-
ture, though abundant and comprising a lot of clinical series, shows limitations in report-
ing of more or less unspecified fractures managed by one certain intramedullary nail type.
In fact, the discussed issues seem seldom to have focused on the type of fracture itself,
leaving the specific problematics of fractures caused by infrequent mechanisms nearly
unobserved.

Delayed union or nonunion following intramedullary nailing of the femur has been sup-
posed to be an infrequent clinical problem compared with the treatment results of the
lower leg (Winquist, Hansen, Clawson 1984; Thoresen et al. 1985; Brumback et al. 1988b;
Christie et al. 1988; Sjberg, Eiskjaer, Mller-Larsen 1990; Brumback 1996; Bhandari et
al. 2000; Herscovici et al. 2000; Tornetta and Tiburzi 2000). As a consequence of the
more frequent use of intramedullary nailing for the treatment of femoral shaft fractures,
an increasing number of orthopaedic surgeons will, however, be confronted with this
complication. Failed union of a femoral shaft fracture is a serious complication, prolong-
ing patient morbidity and possibly influencing the ultimate functional recovery. Neverthe-
less, the studies on the outcome of femoral shaft fractures have seldom focused on
proper identification and treatment of a disturbed process of consolidation after intramed-
ullary nailing of a shaft fracture of the femur. Many of the previous reports have heterog-
enous patient material because the type of primary treatment before the development of
the disturbed consolidation has varied considerably (Christensen 1973; Harper 1984; Hei-
ple et al. 1985; Kempf, Grosse, Rigaut 1986, Klemm and Brner 1986; Curylo and Lind-
sey 1994; Canadian Orthopaedic Trauma Society 2003). Hence, it has been difficult to
characterize the typical features and problems of nonunion after intramedullary nailing.

12
2. REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE

2.1. Definition of the femoral shaft

The length of a tubular human femur is about one fourth of the height of a person (Thorek
1962; Healey and Seybold 1969; Moore 1992). The skeletal maturity of the adult type of
femoral diaphysis can be judged by the age of the patient, which usually has been 17
years or older in studies concerning femoral shaft fractures in adults (Dencker 1963;
Kootstra 1973), but more definitely by the closed (mature) growth plates (Platzer 2003).

The proximal end of the femur consists of the head, the neck, the greater trochanter, and
the lesser trochanter. The distal end of the femur has medial and lateral condyles. The
proximal and distal parts widen into metaphyseal subtrochanteric and supracondylar re-
gions (Thorek 1962; Healey and Seybold 1969; Moore 1992; Bucholz and Brumback
1996; Platzer 2003). The designation femoral shaft fracture denotes that the fracture
situates entirely on the femoral diaphysis. The definition of the diaphysis measured from
the anteroposterior (AP) radiographs has varied (Carr and Miller 1958; Dencker 1963;
Kootstra 1973; Hedlund and Lindgren 1986; Bstman et al. 1989; Canadian Orthopaedic
Trauma Society 2003). The femoral shaft is 1) the portion of the bone between the
proximal boundary of 4 inches (10.16 cm) from the tip of the trochanter major and the
distal boundary of 4 inches (10.16 cm) from the end of the femoral medial condyle (Carr
and Miller 1958), or 2) the distance between 5 cm distal to the lesser trochanter and 6 cm
proximal to the most distal point of the medial femoral condyle (Dencker 1963), or 3) the
diaphyseal section between the boundaries of the lower edge of the lesser trochanter and
of a line which parallels the joint space of the knee at a distance equal to the width of the
condyles (Kootstra 1973), or 4) the part of the femur between 10 cm distal to the lesser
trochanter and 15 cm proximal to the knee joint line (Hedlund and Lindgren 1986), or 5)
the portion of bone between a point 5 cm distal to the lesser trochanter and 8 cm
proximal to the adductor tubercle (Bstman et al. 1989), or 6) the bone section between
the boundaries of at least 1 cm distal to the lesser trochanter and 6 cm or more proximal
to the distal femoral physeal scar (Canadian Orthopaedic Trauma Society 2003).

2.2. Anatomy of the femoral shaft

The femoral shaft has a physiologic anterior curve (Thorek 1962; Dencker 1963; Koot-
stra 1973), which can increase in certain pathologic conditions, such as fibrous dysplasia
or Pagets disease (Grundy 1970; Bucholz and Brumback 1996; Whittle and Wood 2003).
The external circumference of the femur is triangular exhibiting three surfaces: anterior,
lateral, and medial (Thorek 1962; Healey and Seybold 1969; Kootstra 1973; Platzer 2003).
The greatest cortical thickness is posteriorly, where the fascia inserts to the linea aspera,
a two-lipped roughened line (Thorek 1962; Healey and Seybold 1969; Bucholz and Brum-
back 1996; Platzer 2003). The medial and lateral lips of the linea aspera diverge proximal-
ly and distally, the lateral lip becoming continuous proximally with the gluteal tuberosity
(Thorek 1962; Platzer 2003). The medial lip extends up to the undersurface of the femo-
ral neck (Platzer 2003). Lateral to this lip is a ridge, the pectineal line, descending from the

13
lesser trochanter. Both proximally and distally the femoral shaft loses its triangular form
and becomes four-sided (Platzer 2003). The medullary cavity varies in diameter and
shape (Thorek 1962; Healey and Seybold 1969; Kootstra 1973; Moore 1992). Slightly
proximal to the midshaft is the isthmus, where the circular medullary cavity is its narrow-
est with a diameter of 8 mm to 16 mm compared with the otherwise more oval medullary
canal (Dencker 1963).

The thigh extends superficially from the inguinal ligament anteriorly and the gluteal skin
fold posteriorly to the knee level (Thorek 1962; Healey and Seybold 1969). Superficial
fascia contains cutaneous nerve branches from the lumbar plexus (the lateral femoral
cutaneous nerve), the femoral nerve (the anterior and medial femoral cutaneous nerves),
the obturator nerve (medial aspect of the thigh), and the genitofemoral nerve (the lum-
boinguinal branch). The included arteries are the superficial circumflex iliac, the superfi-
cial inferior epigastric, and the superficial external pudendal arteries branching from the
common femoral artery. The great saphenous vein has the ramifications of the superficial
circumflex iliac, the superficial inferior epigastric, and the superficial external pudendal
veins at the region (Thorek 1962; Healey and Seybold 1969).

On the posterior side of the femoral diaphysis attach the pectineus, adductor brevis,
adductor magnus, adductor longus, and gluteus maximus muscles. From the femoral
shaft originate m. vastus lateralis (upper half of the intertrochanteric line), m. vastus
medialis (medial lip of linea aspera and spiral line of femur), m. vastus intermedius (ante-
rior and lateral aspect of upper two thirds of femoral shaft), the short head of m. biceps
femoris (linea aspera and lateral supracondylar line of femur), and m. articularis genus
(Thorek 1962; Healey and Seybold 1969; Kootstra 1973). The muscles of the thigh are
encased by dense fibrous tissue (Healey and Seybold 1969; Kootstra 1973; Moore 1992;
Bucholz and Brumback 1996). The fascia lata reinforces the lateral aspect to form distally
the iliotibial tract (Thorek 1962; Kootstra 1973; Platzer 2003), which on the lateral side
extends to the Gerdys tubercle of the tibia (Platzer 2003).

The thigh contains three distinct fascial compartments. The anterior compartment encas-
es the knee extensor muscles (quadriceps femoris including rectus femoris, vastus inter-
medius, vastus medialis, and vastus lateralis; and sartorius) innervated by the femoral
nerve from the lumbar plexus L 2-4 for the quadriceps femoris and L 2-3 for the sartorius
(Thorek 1962; Healey and Seybold 1969; Kootstra 1973; Hoppenfeld and deBoer 1984;
Moore 1992; Platzer 2003). The rectus femoris muscle is also a weak flexor of the hip
(Healey and Seybold 1969; Platzer 2003). The sartorius flexes, abducts, and medially
rotates the thigh (Thorek 1962; Healey and Seybold 1969; Kootstra 1973; Moore 1992).
The anterior compartment also includes the tensor fasciae latae, the iliacus and psoas
major muscles, and the femoral artery and vein, femoral nerve, and lateral femoral cuta-
neous nerve (Moore 1992).

The medial compartment contains the adductor muscles (gracilis, adductor longus,
adductor brevis, adductor magnus, pectineus) and the obturator externus muscle, which
are supplied by the obturator nerve (Thorek 1962; Healey and Seybold 1969; Kootstra
1973; Hoppenfeld and deBoer 1984; Moore 1992; Platzer 2003). The pectineus and

14
the adductor magnus muscle receive dual innervation: the former from the femoral nerve
and the latter from the sciatic nerve (Kootstra 1973; Platzer 2003). The medial comp-
artment also includes the deep femoral artery, obturator artery and vein, and obturator
nerve.

The posterior compartment includes the flexor muscles (biceps femoris, semitendinosus,
and semimembranosus), which extend the hip, and a portion of the adductor magnus
muscles, as well as branches of the deep femoral artery, sciatic nerve, and posterior
femoral cutaneous nerve. The posterior knee flexor group is innervated by the sciatic
nerve (Thorek 1962; Healey and Seybold 1969; Hoppenfeld and deBoer 1984). The bi-
ceps femoris extends, adducts and laterally rotates the thigh, as well as flexes the lower
leg (Thorek 1962; Healey and Seybold 1969; Platzer 2003). The long head of the biceps
femoris is innervated by the tibial nerve (L5-S2), and the short head receives innervation
from the common peroneal division (S1-2) (Platzer 2003). The semimembranosus and
semitendinosus muscles also act as medial rotators of the thigh (Thorek 1962; Healey and
Seybold 1969), and are innervated from the tibial nerve (L5-S2) (Platzer 2003). The
intermuscular septum between the anterior and posterior compartments is thicker than
the septa between the medial and anterior compartments (Hoppenfeld and deBoer 1984;
Bucholz and Brumback 1996; Platzer 2003). Because of the high volume of these three
compartments, compartment syndrome of the thigh is much less common than that of
the lower leg (Bucholz and Brumback 1996).

The arterial supply of the femur is mainly derived from the deep femoral artery (a. pro-
funda femoris) (Thorek 1962; Healey and Seybold 1969; Bucholz and Brumback 1996).
From its branches, the lateral circumflex femoral artery, among others, supplies blood to
the extensor muscles, while other proximal branches provide vascular supply to the ad-
ductor muscles, and, more distally, three perforating arteries supply the flexor muscles
(Kootstra 1973). The muscular branch of the superficial femoral artery supplies blood to
the vastus medialis muscle (Kootstra 1973).

The femoral shaft has periosteal and endosteal blood supply (Laing 1953). The endosteal
circulation of the femoral diaphysis is predominatly derived from a nutrient artery that
branches from the first perforating branch of the deep femoral artery (Laing 1953; Brookes
1971), enters the bone proximally and posteriorly through a nutrient foramen in the mid-
dle of the diaphysis near the linea aspera, and arborizes proximally and distally (Laing
1953; Bucholz and Brumback 1996). Very seldom, a second nutrient artery exists distally
(Laing 1953), but no major artery enters the lower third of the shaft (Anseroff 1934;
Laing 1953). Under normal physiologic conditions, the circulation is endosteal to the
inner two thirds to three quarters of the cortex (Rhinelander 1968, Rhinelander et al.
1968), and periosteal to the outer one quarter of the cortex (Bucholz and Brumback
1996). Endosteal circulation anastomoses with the numerous small periosteal vessels that
are derived from the adjacent soft-tissues (Kootstra 1973). The periosteum is protected
from complete vascular disruption by an extensive collateral circulation and perpendicu-
larly orientated vessels, which seldom undergo major stripping with the exception of
severe open injuries or perioperative injuries that can possibly result in delayed fracture
healing (Kootstra 1973; Bucholz and Brumback 1996).

15
The normal blood flow is centrifugal (Brookes 1971), although some blood returns to the
large venous sinusoids of the medullary canal. After diaphyseal fractures, the circulatory
pattern is altered (Trueta and Cavadias 1955; Cavadias and Trueta 1965). In a nondis-
placed fracture of the shaft, the endosteal supply can be relatively undisturbed and re-
mains dominant, whereas displacement results in a complete disruption of the medullary
vessels. Proliferation of the periosteal vessels is the paramount vascular response to a
fracture, and the rapidly enhanced periosteal circulation is the primary source of cells and
growth factors for healing. The medullary blood supply is eventually restored during the
healing process (Trueta and Cavadias 1955; Cavadias and Trueta 1965; Bucholz and
Brumback 1996). Preservation of the muscle envelope around the fracture enhances
revascularization of the injured bone and promotes periosteal callus formation.

Earlier studies on the blood circulation of long bone fractures treated with intramedullary
nailing suggested that an intramedullary nail, when introduced into the medullary cavity,
affects the intramedullary vascular system (Trueta and Cavadias 1955; Rhinelander 1974)
and causes ischemia of the inner 2/3 of the cortical bone (Trueta and Cavadias 1955),
which has been concerned in several studies on different nail designs (Eriksson and
Hovelius 1979; McMaster et al. 1980; Murti and Ring 1983; Johnson and Tencer 1990).
Intramedullary reaming causes additional destruction of the endosteal circulation of a
long bone (Danckwardt-Lilliestrm 1969; Kessler et al. 1986; Klein et al. 1990; Sche-
mitsch et al. 1994; Schemitsch et al. 1995). Unreamed nailing diminishes the circulation
of the inner cortex by 30% (Klein et al. 1990; Schemitsch et al. 1994). Extensive reaming
may reduce the cortical blood flow by 30-70% and the total bone blood flow by up to
50% (Klein et al. 1990; Grundnes and Reikers 1993). A sixfold increase in periosteal
blood flow has been measured after reaming (Reichert, McCarthy, Hughes 1995).

Dislocation in femoral shaft fractures is a resultant of three forces: impinging violence,

muscle action, and gravity (Kootstra 1973). As an initial fracture deformity, the proximal
fragment of a fracture of the proximal third of the femoral shaft is usually abducted by m.
gluteus medius and m. gluteus minimus, which both insert in the greater trochanter (Dencker
1963; Bucholz and Brumback 1996), the gemelli, the obturator internus, and the quadri-
ceps femoris (Healey and Seybold 1969). The proximal fragment is flexed and externally
rotated due to m. iliopsoas that inserts in the lesser trochanter (Dencker 1963; Bucholz
and Brumback 1996). The distal fragment is displaced upward and medially by the ad-
ductor and hamstring group of muscles (Healey and Seybold 1969). In the middle third,
the proximal fragment is frequently adducted with a strong axial and varus load due to the
adductor muscles (Dencker 1963; Bucholz and Brumback 1996), and flexed due to the
iliopsoas muscle (Healey and Seybold 1969). The distal fragment is externally rotated by
the weight of the foot (Dencker 1963; Kootstra 1973; Bucholz and Brumback 1996), and
displaced upward and posterior due to the adductors and hamstring muscles (Healey and
Seybold 1969). The distal fragment of the supracondylar fractures is usually flexed pos-
teriorly secondary to the pull of the gastrocnemius muscle (Dencker 1963; Kootstra
1973; Bucholz and Brumback 1996), and can cause damage to the popliteal artery, the
popliteal vein, the tibial nerve, and the common peroneal nerve (Healey and Seybold 1969).
The proximal fragment is pulled in flexion and adduction by the iliopsoas and adductor
muscles (Healey and Seybold 1969). The extensors, such as m. rectus femoris, m. sarto-

16
rius, and m. gracilis, as well as the flexors, except the short head of m. biceps femoris
and the tractus iliotibialis, can also cause longitudinal dislocation of the fracture frag-
ments of the femoral shaft (Kootstra 1973; Bucholz and Brumback 1996). The medial
angulating forces are resisted by the fascia lata (Bucholz and Brumback 1996).

2.3. Biomechanics of long bone fractures

Bone comprises organic material (mainly type I collagen) and minerals (mainly calcium
hydroxyapatite), and is capable of adapting to repeated mechanical load by changing its
microscopic and macroscopic architectural configuration, especially in fatigue fractures.
Bone remodels in response to forces to which it is subject according to the Wolffs law
(Wolff 1892). Every change in the form and function of bone or of their function alone is
followed by certain definite changes in their internal architecture, and equally definite
alteration in their external conformation, in accordance with mathematical laws (Frost
1998; Frost 2004).

The effect of a force sustained in an accident depends on its magnitude, direction, and
nature of load; the nature of the bone including bone microarchitecture with mineral
content, bone density (Bentzen, Hvid, Jrgensen 1987; Rosson et al. 1991) and geomet-
rical shape; and the counteraction of soft-tissues (Kootstra 1973; Brukner, Bennell, Math-
eson 1999). The directions of the force are tension, compression, shear, as well as bend-
ing, and torque (torsion) (Kootstra 1973). The fracturing force can be direct or indirect
(rotation, axial compression, and bending without a direct impact) (Alms 1961).

Because of brittleness attributed to the mineral content (Burstein, Reilly, Martens 1976),
bone breaks when deformed before other musculoskeletal materials. A fracture is a failure
of the bone as a material and as a structure (Paavolainen 1979). The stress-strain behav-
ior of bone is strongly dependent on the orientation of the bone microstructure with
reference to the direction of loading (anisotropy). Although a complex relationship exists
between loading patterns and mechanical properties, cortical bone is generally two times
stronger and stiffer in the longitudinal direction than in the transverse direction. Trabec-
ular bone is strongest along the lamellae of the trabeculae (Bono et al. 2003).

Due to viscoelasticity of the bone and load rate (the rate at which the force is applied),
approximately 43% more of torsional energy is needed to break diaphyseal bone in 50
msec than to break it in 150 msec. Bones that have a larger cross-sectional area and in
which bone tissue is distributed further away from the neutral axis will be stronger when
subject to load and, therefore, less likely to fracture. The moment of inertia (the degree to
which the shape of the material influences its strength) describing rigidity to bending
(bending resistance) is greater at a distance from the neutral axis, and the polar moment
of inertia describing rigidity to torsion (torsional resistance) is likewise greater at a dis-
tance from the neutral axis (Gozna 1982; Brukner, Bennell, Matheson 1999). Under ten-
sion and compression loads, bone strength is proportional to the bone cross-sectional
area, and to the square of the apparent density: small reductions in bone density may be
associated with large reductions in bone strength (Gozna 1982). The strength of a tubu-
lar structure is proportional to the third power of the outer diameter minus the third

17
power of the inner diameter, and with regard to stiffness, the same diameters are raised to
the fourth power (Russell et al. 1991). An increase in both the external diameter and the
cortical thickness of a tubular bone will exert a great impact on its mechanical behavior
(Brten, Nordby, Terjesen 1993). For their length (longitudinal dimension), long bones of
the lower extremity are subject to high bending moments and hence to high tensile and
compressive stresses. Any sudden change in the shape of the bone alters the distribution
of stress within the structure, giving rise to stress concentration (or stress risers) that the
bone attempts to compensate for by remodeling (Burstein, Reilly, Martens 1976; Gozna
1982). The proximal and distal metaphyseal widenings in the subtrochanteric and supra-
condylar regions of the bone result in stress concentration, which at these levels, espe-
cially in the elderly, causes pathologic fractures starting at the weak metaphyseal bone
and propagating into the shaft (Bucholz and Brumback 1996).

Understanding both the direction in which and the force by which a fracture is formed
provides information on lesions of the soft-tissues, and can be useful in fracture reduc-
tion (Kootstra 1973). Human cortical bone offers less resistance to tensile stress at the
convex site than to compressive stress at the concave site (Kootstra 1973), even in
bending (Alms 1961). In the femur, the femoral shaft fails first under tensile strain (Evans,
Pedersen, Lissner 1951) that, according to cadaveric studies, is maximal on the anterola-
teral aspect of the femoral shaft (Evans, Pedersen, Lissner 1951).

A bending load applied to a diaphyseal bone results in transverse fractures (Alms 1961;
Gozna 1982) where the location of soft-tissue hinge is on the concave side (Gozna 1982).
A normal, adult femoral shaft fractures after 250 Nm of bending movement (Kyle 1985).

Torsion (torque or twisting) causes spiral fractures with long, sharp, pointed ends, and a
soft-tissue hinge on the vertical segment (Gozna 1982). The course of spiral is deter-
mined by the shearing stress or tension. The spiral curves around the shaft at an angle of
40 to 45, with the long axis of the bone in a direction that would allow the portion of the
bone under tension to open up (Gozna 1982). Due to the moment of inertia, a spiral
fracture is common, for example, through the junction of the middle and distal one-thirds
of the tibia. In bones with pathologic lesions, minor torsional loads cause spiral fractures
that are rarely comminuted or associated with severe soft-tissue damage (Bucholz and
Brumback 1996).

Moderate axial compression combined with bending and torsion causes oblique fractures
(Alms 1961; Gozna 1982) with short and blunt fracture ends without a vertical segment
(Gozna 1982).

Moderate axial compression together with bending results in oblique-transverse (a trans-

verse fracture with one fragment containing a protuberance or beak) or butterfly frac-
tures (a bending wedge on a compression side) by simultaneous interruption of continuity
in two directions. The soft-tissue hinge is on the concave side of the butterfly (Gozna
1982), where compressive stresses produce an oblique fracture line due to shearing stresses
(Kootstra 1973). The fracture is transverse when the oblique segment of the oblique-
transverse fracture is very short (Kootstra 1973). Oblique-transverse and butterfly

18
fractures are commonly seen in the lower extremities when the thigh or calf receives a
lateral blow during weightbearing for instance, among pedestrians injured by automobiles
(Gozna 1982).

Combinations of tension, compression, shear and torque produce a very complex stress
pattern. Comminuted fractures result from a combination of a large amount of energy and
a direct impingement of an abrupt force on the shaft. Here, the stresses which occur in
the bone are so great that the limit of elastic formation is exceeded several times (Kootstra
1973), while the additional force is dissipated on the soft-tissues.

Bone elasticity decreases with increasing age (Kootstra 1973). Breaking strength and
elasticity are, however, not the same throughout the bone (Kootstra 1973). The density of
the cortical bone diminishes with age, especially on the anterolateral aspect of the femoral
shaft (Atkinson and Weatherell 1967).

The breaking torque moment is inversely proportional to age (Hubbard 1973). The spiral
fracture pattern is more pronounced with increasing age and osteoporosis (Kootstra 1973).
The strength of the iliotibial tract, which is important in absorbing a bending force in the
frontal plane, diminishes with age (Pauwels 1948). Considering that the ligaments of the
mobile hip joint absorb torque applied to the femur (Pauwels 1948), spiral fractures are
likely to occur more frequently at a more advanced age, when hip joint mobility is re-
duced and cortical bone density is altered (Kootstra 1973).

During activities like walking and running, bone is subject to a combination of loading
modes (Burr et al. 1996; Ekenman 1998; Milgrom et al. 1998): compressive stresses
predominate at heel strike, followed by high tensile stresses at push-off (Carter 1978).
During physical activity, forces from ground impact and muscle contraction result in
bone stress, defined as the load or force per unit area that develops on a plane surface,
and in bone strain, defined as deformation of or alteration in bone dimension (Brukner,
Bennell, Matheson 1999). During running, the vertical ground-reaction force has been
shown to vary from two to five times the body weight, and during jumping and landing
activities, ground-reaction forces can reach 12 times the body weight (McNitt-Gray 1991).
Transient impulse forces, associated with ground-reaction forces, are propagated up-
ward from the foot and undergo attenuation as they pass toward the head (Light, McLel-
lan, Klenerman 1980; Wosk and Voloshin 1981). Running speed, muscle fatigue, type of
foot strike, body weight, surface, terrain, and footwear influence the magnitude, propa-
gation and attenuation of the impact force (Nigg and Segesser 1988; Dufek and Bates
1991). When bone is loaded in vivo, contraction of muscles attached to the bone also
influences the stress magnitude and distribution. In addition to muscle contraction, intact
soft-tissues substantially increase the tibial structural capacity of a rat, and the effect is
similar in normal and osteopenic bone (Nordsletten and Ekeland 1993; Nordsletten et al.
1994). The calculated total force is a summation of the ground-reaction forces and the
muscular forces (Scott and Winter 1990). Muscle activity partially attenuates the large
bending moment and reduces the tensile and compressive stresses. Muscle contraction
can both decrease and increase the magnitude of stress applied to the bone (Brukner,
Bennell, Matheson 1999).

19
Repetitive strains are essential for the maintenance of normal bone mass, but physical
activity either increases the bone mass (Morris et al. 1997) or diminishes the bone strength
depending on the formation of microscopic cracks within the bone (Chamay and Tschantz
1972; Burr et al. 1985; Burr et al. 1990; Mori and Burr 1993). Microdamage (Rutishauer
and Majno 1951; Frost 1960) due to physiological strain (Schaffler, Radin, Burr 1989)
can coalesce into macrocracks eventually developing into a stress fracture, if remodeling
does not occur (Frost 1989a; Frost 1989b). A threshold level for accumulation of micro-
damage is approximately 2000 microstrain (Frost 1998), which represents the upper
range of physiological values, and above that, the relationship between strain and micro-
damage becomes exponential at deformation (Frost 1989a; Frost 1989b).

Normal bone remodeling, responding to cyclic loading, is a sequential process of osteo-

clastic resorption and osteoblastic new bone formation, which occurs continuously on
both periosteal and endosteal surfaces within the cortical bone and on the surface of the
trabeculae (Buckwalter et al. 1995). The main functions of remodeling are to adapt bone
to mechanical loading, to prevent accumulation of microfractures or fatigue damage, and
to maintain constant blood calcium levels. Remodeling with its stages of quiescence,
activation, resorption, reversal, and formation results in net bone resorption, and is re-
sponsible for the bone losses that accompany aging. In human bone, the metabolic turn-
over rate is 0.05 mm of tissue every three or four months for each basic multicellular
unit consisting of bone resorbing osteoclasts and bone, through matrix synthesis and
mineralization, repairing osteoblasts (Frost 1989a; Frost 1989b; Frost 1991). Following
remodeling, bone requires three more months for adequate mineralization (Frost 1998).
Some human studies have suggested that microdamage occurs at pre-existing sites of
accelerated remodeling, where osteoclastic resorption weakens an area of bone and sub-
jects it to higher strains before new bone is added by osteoblasts (Johnson et al. 1963).
Microdamage is repaired either by direct repair (the stimulus being either a cellular mem-
brane response or an electrical response in the Haversian canal cells), or by simple ran-
dom remodeling of the cortex at the rate designed to keep up with the damage accumula-
tion. Continued mechanical loading during a one- to two-week interval between termina-
tion of the resorptive processes and commencement of bone formation (the reversal
phase) can result in microdamage accumulation and the beginning of clinical symptoma-
tology.

A fatigue fracture is a consequence of nonphysiologic cyclic loading of the bone. In-

cipient stress osteopathy is likely, when localized pain of insidious onset worsens with
progressive training and is relieved by rest (Worthen and Yanklowitz 1978; Greaney et al.
1983; Markey 1987; Jones et al. 1989; Hershman and Mailly 1990; Knapp and Garrett
1997), especially if the pain is combined with a recent change in physical activity.
In normal activities, skeletal loading of long bones is dominated by muscle mediated
bending forces. Repetitive bending loads produce stresses that peak on subperiosteal
surfaces (Beck 2001). The repeated loading can cause microscopic damage to bone
tissue with accompanying resorption by osteoclasts. This weakens the bone and triggers
a remodeling response by osteoblasts. Inadequate adaptation of the bone to a mechanical
change leads to an imbalance between bone microdamage and remodeling (Stanitski,
McMaster, Scranton 1978; Jones et al. 1989; Brukner, Bennell, Matheson 1999), and

20
gradually to a fracture, which may finally result in a total displacement from repeated
applications of a stress lower than the stress required to fracture the bone in a single
loading.

2.4. Fracture healing, delayed union, and nonunion of diaphyseal bone

Fracture healing includes phases of impaction, induction, and inflammation, soft and
hard callus formation, and remodeling (Heppenstall 1980). A fractured long bone normal-
ly heals by the formation of periosteal and endosteal callus. In diaphyseal fracture repair,
the healing cascade attempts to bridge the fracture gap with appropriate tissue leading to
restoration of the skeletal integrity and the mechnical properties of the bone. Primary
bone healing is characterized by widening of the Haversian canals, formation of resorp-
tion cavities and subsequent formation of new bone across the fracture gap (Lane 1914;
Danis 1947). In gap healing, bone gaps are initially filled by bone with the lamellae orient-
ed parallel to the fracture, and then penetrated by the osteons in a longitudinal direction
(Olerud and Dankward-Lilliestrm 1968). The limit for direct primary osseous bridging
of the fracture gap is about 0.5 mm (Schenk and Willenegger 1977). New bone is formed
both by direct membranous ossification and by endochondral ossification. Endochondral
fracture repair includes inflammatory phase, reparative phase, and remodeling phase.
External callus formation includes the primary callus response and the phase of bridging
callus (McKibbin 1978). Resorptive and formative changes in cortical bone generally
occur in endosteal, intracortical and periosteal surfaces. In a bridging stage of the frac-
ture healing process, a junction between the fracture fragments is established. In a re-
modeling stage, the morphology of the fractured bone is restored (McKibbin 1978).

Fracture healing in a long bone with motion between fracture fragments after intramedul-
lary nailing implies the formation of external callus tissue (Falkenberg 1961; McKibbin
1978; Aro 1985). By absolute stability of plate fixation, healing is accomplished by prima-
ry bone healing without external callus (Willenegger, Perren, Schenk 1971; Allgwer and
Spiegel 1979; Perren 1979) and a decrease of the torsional strength of the cortical bone
later (Paavolainen 1979).The amount of external callus in fractures intramedullary nailing
depends on the thickness of the intramedullary nail (Aro 1985). External callus ossifies
without the intermediate cartilage stage in fractures stabilized with tight-fitting nails, whereas
loose-fitting-nails result in formation of cartilage at the fracture site (Anderson, Gilmer,
Tooms 1962). Persistent displacement of butterfly fragments has a deleterious effect on
the function only when the fragment is buttonholed to the quadriceps muscle or through
the iliotibial band. Fragments dislocated more than 2 cm from the medullary canal do not
contribute to the healing of the fracture (Bucholz and Brumback 1996).

Disturbed bone healing can result from technical problems during operations, or a biolog-
ical failure, or both (Frost 1989a; Frost 1989b; Robello and Aron 1992). A delayed union
is a failure of fracture repair, and may lead to nonunion (Perren 1979) where bone repair
ceases before a firm union has been established. Predisposing factors to nonunion have
been 1) gap or bone loss, overdistraction (Kntscher 1965), or soft-tissue interposition at
the fracture site, 2) inadequate fracture fixation, 3) repeated manipulations injuring the
fracture callus and its blood supply, 4) infection, 5) innervation impairment (Hukkanen et

21
al. 1993), or 6) periosteal stripping (Aro, Eerola, Aho 1985; Utvag, Grundnes, Reikers
1998b; Utvag, Grundnes, Reikers 1999). The traumatic rupture of immature uniting
callus may be common in the pathogenesis of fracture nonunions (Urist, Mazet, McLean
1954). According to the theory of Roux, pressure forces create bone while traction or
thrust create connective tissue (Kntscher 1967). In abundant nonunion, the callus for-
mation continues to increase, but does not unite the fragments by bone (Kntscher 1967).
The resistance of callus to traction forces leads into tearing and crushing of the callus on
the side of traction (Kntscher 1967). In an experimental nonunion, the chondral phase
was prolonged with an abundant cartilage-specific type II collagen production in the
callus and in the interfragmentary area (Hietaniemi et al. 1998), and further, the regulation
of collagen genes was altered in the early phase of the cascade (Hietaniemi 1999). The
development of pseudarthrosis has been related to mechanical instability across the frac-
ture site, which prevents replacement of the cartilaginous callus by bone (Reikers and
Reigstad 1985; Hulth 1989; Hietaniemi 1999).

In most nonunions, the bone ends are characterized by hypervascularization, hypertroph-

ic bone formation, and high potential for union (elephant foot) due to insufficient
fixation or premature weightbearing (Weber and Cech 1976). Other pseudarthrosis that
are viable and capable of biological reaction are the horse hoof, slightly hypertrophic
pseudarthrosis poor in callus, and the oligotrophic pseudarthrosis without callus (Weber
and Cech 1976) and with avascular fragments that have a low healing power. Pseudar-
throsis that are non-viable and incapable of biological reaction include torsion wedge- or
dystrophic pseudarthrosis, necrotis pseudarthrosis from comminution, defect pseudar-
throsis, and atrophic pseudarthrosis (Weber and Cech 1976). Periosteal innervation is
important for the bridging callus of fracture healing (Miller and Kasahara 1963; Aro
1985). In immunopathologic and neuroimmunologic studies on nonunited diaphyseal bones,
delayed union and nonunion tissue consisted of vascularized connective tissue, 5B5 fi-
broblasts, CD11b macrophages, and vascular endothelial cells. Total lack of periferal
innervation was also detected (Santavirta et al. 1992).

2.5. Classifications of femoral shaft fractures in adults

No universally accepted classification scheme exists for fractures of the femoral shaft
(Bucholz and Brumback 1996). Fractures caused by trauma, excluding periprosthetic
fractures or pathological fractures due to malignancy or osteoporosis, are categorized by
soft-tissue injury; fracture location, geometry, comminution and associated injuries (Bu-
cholz and Brumback 1996).

The Tscherne and Oestern classification of closed fractures categorizes blunt soft-tissue
injuries into Grade C0 = none or negligible soft-tissue damage from indirect violence, CI
= superficial abrasion caused by a fragment from within, CII = deep, skin or muscle
contusion from direct trauma including impending compartment syndrome, and CIII =
extensively contused skin and potentially severe muscle damage (Tscherne and Oestern
1982; Oestern and Tscherne 1984).

22
The Gustilo and Anderson classification of open fractures subdivides open wounds into
three main categories: Grade I = clean puncture wound 1 cm or less; Grade II = lacera-
tion less than 5 cm without contamination or extensive soft-tissue flaps, loss, avulsion, or
crush; Grade III = extensive soft-tissue damage with contamination or crush including
Grade IIIA = adequate soft-tissue coverage of bone; Grade IIIB = extensive soft-tissue
loss with periosteal stripping and bone exposure; and Grade IIIC = major arterial injury
present demanding vascular repair or reconstruction (Gustilo and Anderson 1976; Gust-
ilo, Mendoza, Williams 1984; Gustilo, Merkow, Templeman 1990). Abundant soft-tissue
coverage of the femoral shaft makes Grade III, especially Grade IIIC, open fractures
relatively uncommon compared with lower leg fractures (Bucholz and Brumback 1996).
Reliability and reproducibility in using this classification may be problematic for femoral
fractures as well, although this has not been studied (Brumback and Jones 1994; Bucholz
and Brumback 1996).

In relation to their location, femoral shaft fractures can be categorized as proximal third,
midshaft, or distal third, the latter also referred to as infraisthmal fractures (Bucholz and
Brumback 1996). More detailed divisions have been used as well (Kootstra 1973).

The morphologic description by Alms is similar to other long bone fractures and classified
according to the geometry of the major fracture line. The line of breakage resulting from
direct violence is usually transverse and caused by the most common injury mechanism,
bending load (Alms 1961; Gozna 1982; Bucholz and Jones 1991; Bucholz and Brumback
1996). Fractures from indirect impact are usually oblique, and caused by axial compression
with bending and torsion (Alms 1961; Gozna 1982; Bucholz and Jones 1991). Fractures
due to muscular action are characterized as spiral (Healey and Seybold 1969), and caused
by torsion load (Alms 1961; Gozna 1982; Bucholz and Jones 1991). Oblique and spiral
fractures are frequently compound fractures (Healey and Seybold 1969). Axial compres-
sion with bending causes an additional, obliquetransverse fracture type with a nonfrac-
tured or fractured butterfly fragment (Alms 1961; Gozna 1982). Measured by the angle
between a line perpendicular to the long axis of the femur and the main fracture line, frac-
tures with an angle of less than 30 degrees are considered transverse (Mller et al. 1990).

The Arbeitsgemeinschaft fr Osteosynthesefragen (AO), the Association for the Study of

Internal Fixation (ASIF) and, later, the Orthopaedic Trauma Association (OTA) have
classified femoral shaft fractures into three main types (simple, wedge, and complex)
with three main groups, and three subgroups according to the fracture location, with
additional two to five ramifications in the complex type of fractures (Mller et al. 1990;
Orthopaedic Trauma Association 1996). The simple fractures are subdivided according
to the obliquity of the single fracture line into spiral, oblique, or transverse fractures.
Wedge fractures can have a spiral, bending, or fragmented configuration. Complex frac-
tures include spiral and segmental fractures, and fractures with extensive comminution
over a long segment of the diaphysis. The influence of the AO/ASIF scheme on the
preferred treatment and its outcome of any given fracture is still unsolved (Bucholz and
Brumback 1996). The reliability of the AO/OTA classification system in femoral fractures
caused by gunshots compared with those caused by blunt trauma has recently been
criticized due to a low interobserver agreement on fracture group (Shepherd et al. 2003).

23
The former OTA classification resembled the Gustilo classification of fracture morphol-
ogy that divided femoral shaft fractures into linear, comminuted, segmental, or boneloss
types (Gustilo 1991). Before the AO classification system was introduced, Dencker
(1963) categorized a femoral shaft fracture transverse, if the angle between the fracture
plane and femoral shaft was 65-90, and oblique, if this angle was smaller. A short ob-
lique fracture had an angle of 45-65, and a long oblique fracture an angle < 45. Double
fractures had two unrelated planes. In moderately or greatly comminuted fractures, the
shaft was crushed over a longer distance of its length and displayed several fragments of
indeterminate shape (Dencker 1963).

The stability of diaphyseal fractures is based on the Winquist-Hansen classification of the

fracture comminution (Winquist and Hansen 1980; Johnson, Johnston, Parker 1984;
Winquist, Hansen, Clawson 1984): segmental fracture (double fracture of the femoral
shaft), Grade I fracture (fracture with a small fragment 25% or less of the width of the
femoral shaft and not affecting the fracture stability), Grade II fracture (fracture with a
fragment 25% to 50% of the width of the femoral shaft), Grade III fracture (fracture
with a fragment over 50% of the width of the femoral shaft), and Grade IV fracture
(fracture with circumferential comminution over a segment of bone). The degree of
fracture comminution has implications for the preferred form of medullary fixation and
locking of the major fracture fragments (Bucholz and Brumback 1996).

A patient can be categorized as having either an isolated femoral fracture or multiple

injuries that determine the preferred timing for fixation of fractures of the femoral shaft
(Ostrum, Verghese, Santner 1993). The Injury Severity Score (ISS) is one of several
scales used to grade the severity of the multiply injured patient (Baker et al. 1974).

Classification of fatigue fractures according to Provost and Morris in 1969 categorizes

femoral shaft fractures into Group I (linear oblique radiolucency in the medial cortex of
the proximal shaft of the femur with associated periosteal reaction), Group II (displaced
spiral oblique fracture in the midshaft of the femur), and Group III (transverse fracture
of the distal third of the shaft of the femur) (Provost and Morris 1969). The definition
described by Hallel, Amit and Segal contains three categories: Grade I (periosteal reac-
tion on one side of the cortex in one or both radiological projections, an incomplete
fracture), Grade II (circumferential periosteal reaction), and Grade III (a displaced frac-
ture) (Hallel, Amit, Segal 1976).

2.6. Fracture mechanisms and injuries causing traumatic femoral shaft

fractures
The causative violence of diaphyseal fractures can be divided into high energy injuries:
motor vehicle accidents, auto-pedestrian accidents, motorcycle accidents, falls from the
height of more than three to four meters (Mosenthal et al. 1995; Demetriades et al. 2005),
and gunshot wounds (Bucholz and Brumback 1996), as well as low energy injuries:
slipping or stumbling at ground level, falls from the height of less than one meter, and
most sports injuries. The femur, like other long bones of the body, fractures as a result of
direct or indirect violence or muscular action.

24
Femoral shaft fractures in young persons are commonly thought to be primarily associ-
ated with high energy trauma (Kootstra 1973; Bucholz and Brumback 1996). Femoral
shaft fracture caused by indirect low energy trauma is an entity different from that of the
direct-impact fracture of the young, and especially among the elderly, has been men-
tioned only sporadically in epidemiologic studies of the fractures of the femoral shaft
(Wong 1966; Hedlund and Lindgren 1986; Arneson et al.1988; Bengnr et al. 1990). Table
1. shows some previous studies of the epidemiology of the femoral shaft fracture.

Table 1. Prior studies on epidemiology of femoral shaft fractures in adults.

Study and Year Study Definition Minimum Number Statistical Pathological

Period of Age of Analysis Fractures
Femoral (Years) Fractures eliminated
Shaft
Buck-Gramcko,
Germany 1958* 1954-1956 No 15 103 No Yes
Martyn and McGoey,
Canada 1961* 1950-1960 No < 30 62 No No
Dencker,
Sweden 1963* 1952-1954 Yes 17 1003 Yes Yes
Knowelden, Buhr, Dunbar,
United Kingdom 1964 1954-1958 No 35 69 Yes No
Wong,
Singapore 1966 1962-1963 No 20 219 Yes Yes
Blichert-Toft and Hammer,
Denmark 1970* 1959-1968 Yes 15 82 No Yes
Suiter and Bianco,
U.S.A. 1971* 1956-1965 No 15 127 No Yes
Kootstra,
Netherlands 1973* 1958-1969 Yes 17 329 Yes Yes
Hedlund and Lindgren,
Sweden 1986 1972-1981 Yes 20 139 Yes Yes
Arneson et al.,
U.S.A. 1988 1965-1984 Indirectly 15 122 Yes No
Bengnr et al.,
Sweden 1994 1950-1983 No 20 161 Yes No
* also compared in the Kootstra study (1973), also included subtrochanteric fractures.

Traffic accidents are responsible for 57-74% of all femoral shaft fractures (Dencker
1963; Blichert-Toft and Hammer 1970; Kootstra 1973), while the remaining fractures
consist of occupational injuries and domestic accidents (Table 2.). The latter have mostly
involved elderly patients (Table 3.): 65% of patients aged 70 years or older were injured at
home (Kootstra 1973). In Sweden, the difference in traffic accidents causing femoral
shaft fractures could probably be explained by the lower traffic density during 1952 -
1954 (Dencker 1963).

25
Table 2. Distribution of injury types causing femoral shaft fractures in adults (Kootstra
1973) (N=329 patients).

Injury Type Number of

Fractures
(Percentage)
Traffic 242 (73.6%)
On foot 28 (8.5%)
On two wheels 130 (39.5%)
In car 84 (25.6%)
Train or aircraft crash 0 (0.0%)
Occupational 32 (9.7%)
Direct injury (thigh being squeezed or crushed by a heavy weight) 16 (4.9%)
Indirect injury (fall or lower leg stuck and entire body rotated) 14 (4.2%)
Sports 2 (0.6%)
Domestic (stumbling, slipping) 46 (14.0%)
Unclassifiable or unknown 9 (2.7%)
All 329 (100 %)

Table 3. Distribution of accident types causing femoral shaft fractures according to patients
age group (Kootstra 1973) (N=320 patients*)

Age Group Accident

Years Traffic Occupational Domestic All
Number Number Number Number
(Percentage) (Percentage) (Percentage) (Percentage)
17 19 45 (94%) 3 (6%) 0 (0%) 48 (100%)
20 29 69 (91%) 7 (9%) 0 (0%) 76 (100%)
30 39 32 (82%) 6 (15%) 1 (3%) 39 (100%)
40 49 31 (86%) 5 (14%) 0 (0%) 36 (100%)
50 59 31 (81%) 3 (8%) 4 (11%) 38 (100%)
60 69 21 (56%) 5 (14%) 11 (30%) 37 (100%)
70 13 (28%) 3 (7%) 30 (65%) 46 (100%)
h*The
i j injury mechanism
h i l ifi bl i in 9 ipatients.
was unclassifiable

The gender-specific distribution of femoral shaft fractures has also significantly varied
according to the accident type: 82% of men sustained a femoral shaft fracture in a traffic
accident, 13% at work, and only 5% at home, whereas, of women, none was injured at
work, 53% in a traffic accident, and 47% at home (Kootstra 1973).

2.7. Etiology of fatigue fractures of the femoral shaft

Stress fractures from prolonged, excessive, or repetitive physical activity were first de-
scribed in a metatarsal by Breithaupt in 1855. Fatigue fractures differ from typical oste-

26
oporotic fractures that are due to low bone density (Cummings and Melton 2002). Stress
fractures of the bones are divided into two general types: a) fractures induced by cyclical
loading of normal bones with abnormal forces that are fatigue fractures, and b) those
induced by normal forces in abnormal bone that are insufficiency fractures (Pentecost,
Murray, Brindley 1964; Daffner and Pavlov 1992; Anderson and Greenspan 1996). Insuf-
ficiency fractures are seen in elderly women suffering from osteoporosis, in cases of
Pagets disease, hyperparathyroidism, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, scurvy, osteomala-
cia, osteogenesis imperfecta, or rickets (Pentecost, Murray, Brindley 1964; Markey 1987).
Fatigue failure is a rare (Provost and Morris 1969) but increasing cause of femoral shaft
fractures (Bucholz and Brumback 1996; Boden and Speer 1997). Displacement of these
stress injuries can occasionally occur (Bucholz and Brumback 1996).

The stress-fracture pathogenesis is multifactorial, it can be either intrinsic or extrinsic.

Extrinsic causes have been a) training errors (excessive volume, excessive intensity;
magnitude, duration and change of each strain cycle; excessive muscle fatigue, inade-
quate recovery or faulty technique), and b) impact attenuation (training surfaces and
conditions, footwear and other equipment).

Intrinsic factors include 1) gait mechanics related to lower extremity alignment, b) mus-
cle imbalance, 2) muscle weakness, 3) lack of flexibility due to generalized muscle tight-
ness, focal areas of muscle thickening, or restricted joint range of motion, 4) decreased
bone strength due to low bone mineral density (Carter et al. 1981), 5) small bone archi-
tecture caused by diet and nutrition, genetics, endocrine status and hormones, exercise,
or bone disease (Giladi et al. 1987a; Giladi et al. 1987b), 6) gender, 7) high body mass
index (BMI), 8) body composition (Brukner and Khan 1993), 9) bone turnover including
low bone density, elevated bone strain, and inadequate repair of microdamage, 10) low
calcium intake associated with greater rate of bone turnover, low bone density, or inade-
quate repair of microdamage, 11) caloric intake and eating disorders causing altered body
composition, low bone density, greater rate of bone turnover, reduced calcium absorp-
tion, menstrual disturbances, and inadequate repair of microdamage, 12) hormonal fac-
tors such as sex hormones, menarcheal age, menstrual disturbances, 13) genetic predis-
position (low bone density, greater rate of bone remodeling, psychological traits), and 14)
even psychological factors such as excessive training, nutritional intake, or eating disor-
ders (Brukner, Bennell, Matheson 1999).

The structural geometry varies more than bone material properties including bone mineral
density (Martens et al. 1981). In a prospective observational cohort study of 295 male
Israeli military conscripts, femoral shaft stress fractures were seen more in conscripts
who had narrower tibias, a feature that may be an indication of the size of tubular bones
in general (Giladi et al. 1987b). The cross-sectional moment of inertia about the antero-
posterior axis has proven to be a better indicator than the tibial width (Milgrom et al.
1988). In another study, conscripts with stress fractures had a smaller tibial width, a
smaller cross-sectional area, smaller moment of inertia, and a smaller modulus (Beck et
al. 1996). The smaller cross-sectional dimensions were apparent in the long-bone dia-
physes, not in the joint size, which suggests a specificity of the structural deficit in the
fracture group and that these dimensions are influenced environmentally (Beck et al.

27
1996). This could indicate that the stress fracture groups bones had not been sufficiently
loaded before basic training in order to develop cortices strong enough to withstand the
subsequent stresses.

Skeletal alignment of the lower limb and foot alignment may predispose a person to stress
fractures through either creation of stress-concentration areas in the bone or promotion
of muscle fatigue. The high-arched (pes cavus) foot is more rigid and less able to absorb
shock, so more force passes to the tibia and femur. In a prospective cohort study, the
overall incidence of stress fracture in the low-arched (pes planus) group was 10%, as
opposed to 40% in the high-arched group (Giladi et al. 1985b). A similar trend was noted
when tibial and femoral stress fractures were analyzed separately. However, trainees with
an average arch had a stress-fracture incidence of 31%, or similar to that of the high-
arched trainees. Skeletal alignment factors that may predispose to fatigue fractures are
summarized in the Table 4.

Table 4. Skeletal alignment factors causing fatigue fractures in the literature.

Predisposing Factor No Effect on Incidence Increases Incidence

(Study and Year) (Study and Year)
Leg length discrepancy Cowan et al. 1996 Friberg 1982; Brunet et al. 1990;
Bennell et al. 1996
High arched foot Montgomery et al. 1989; Brunet Matheson et al. 1987: increase in
et al. 1990; Bennell et al. 1996 femoral and metatarsal stress
fractures; Giladi et al. 1985b;
Simkin et al. 1989: increase in
femoral and tibial stress fractures;
Brosh and Arkan 1994
Pronated foot Montgomery et al. 1989; Brunet Matheson et al. 1987: increase in
et al. 1990; Bennell et al. 1996 tibial and tarsal stress fractures
Greater forefoot varus Matheson et al. 1987 Cowan et al.1996; Hughes 1985:
Rearfoot valgus Hughes 1985
Subtalar varus Matheson et al. 1987
In-toe / Out-toe gait Giladi et al. 1987a
Genu valgum / Genu Giladi et al. 1987a; Matheson et Cowan et al.1996: increased with
varum al. 1987; Montgomery et al. increased valgus
1989; Bennell et al. 1996
Genu recurvatum Montgomery et al. 1989; Cowan
et al.1996
Tibia vara Matheson et al. 1987
Tibial torsion Giladi et al. 1987a
Q-angle Montgomery et al. 1989; Cowan et al. 1996: increased with
Winfield et al. 1997; Matheson an angle >15
et al. 1987

28
2.8. Demography and incidence of femoral shaft fractures in adults
Femoral shaft fractures are commonly thought to be primarily associated with severe
trauma in young persons. A femoral shaft fracture caused by indirect low energy trauma
is an entity different from that of the direct-impact fracture in the young. Low energy
violence as a cause of these fractures, especially among the elderly (Wong 1966; Hedlund
and Lindgren 1986; Arneson et al. 1988; Bengnr et al. 1990). Although the incidence of
fractures of the shaft of the femur in the elderly is considerably lower than that of many
other fractures among aged persons (Knowelden, Buhr, Dunbar 1964), the number of
senior citizens is increasing, and the clinicians will be more often confronted with the
specific problems associated with these fractures.

Fatigue or stress fractures mainly located in the proximal or midshaft areas usually occur
in military conscripts undergoing a marked and prolonged increase in physical activity
(Giladi et al. 1985a; Bucholz and Brumback 1996). The incidence of stress fractures of
the femoral shaft in civilian population appears to be rising along with the recent emphasis
on physical fitness. Running accounts for most such fractures (McBryde 1975), which
have been encountered after triathlon events and aerobic dancing as well (Clement et al.
1993).

Dencker studied 1003 recent femoral shaft fractures in adults in 992 patients treated at
public hospitals in Sweden during a three-year period of 1952 to 1954, with a follow-up
of 4 to 8 years. Kootstra studied 335 traumatic femoral shaft fractures in 329 adults in the
province of Groningen in the Netherlands during 12 years from 1958 to 1969 (Kootstra
1973). Pathological fractures caused by primary and metastatic tumors were excluded in
both studies (Dencker 1963; Kootstra 1973). The frequencies of femoral shaft fractures
in adults were 334 fractures per year (Dencker 1963), and 17-36 fractures per year
(Kootstra 1973). The ratio of men to women in Denckers series was 2.7:1, but the
relation varied widely at different ages. In the Kootstra study (1973), 22.2% of the pa-
tients were females (N=73), compared with 21.5% - 27% in earlier studies (Dencker
1963; Blichert-Toft and Hammer 1970). The risk of sustaining a femoral shaft fracture
was greatest in men between the ages of 20 and 29 years, while in women it was greatest
between 80 and 89 years (Dencker 1963; Kootstra 1973). In Denckers study, the distri-
bution was fairly even in the male groups 30 to 39, 40 to 49, and 50 to 59 years, ranging
between 86 and 122. In the female age groups 20 to 29, 30 to 39, 40 to 49 and 50 to 59
years, the distribution was even, between 20 and 27. The number of fractures increased
in women over the age of 60 (Dencker 1963). In patients of 60 years or over, fractures
were twice as common in women as in men, 159 against 80. According to the study by
Kootstra (1973), femoral shaft fractures most frequently occurred at an early age in
males (Tables 5. and 6.). The incidence gradually diminished with increasing age, and
attained its lowest value in age group 70-79, after which another increase occurred (Table
5.). The marked increase in femoral shaft fracture incidence in females after 50 can only
be explained on the basis of a constitutional factor, i.e. the hormonal change during and
after the menopause, which is associated with osteoporosis and increased fragility of the
femoral shaft. The percentage of patients aged 70 or older and sustaining a femoral shaft
fracture was 14.9%-15% (Dencker 1963; Blichert-Toft and Hammer 1970). This age

29
group has been found to be overwhelmed by female patients: 72% by Dencker (1963),
66% by Blichert-Toft and Hammer (1970), and 63% by Kootstra (1973) (Table 6.)

Table 5. Incidence of femoral shaft fractures in males and females according to age group by
Kootstra (1973) (N=329 patients).

Age Group Incidence per 1000 persons

Years Males Females
17-19 3.06 0.65
20-29 1.91 0.26
30-39 1.50 0.16
40-49 1.17 0.06
50-59 1.20 0.28
60-69 1.35 0.44
70-79 0.65 1.21
80-89 1.47 2.41
90-99 (10.98) (3.77)

Table 6. Age- and gender-specific distribution of patients sustaining femoral shaft fractures
by Kootstra (1973) (N=329 patients).

Age Group Males Females All

Years Number of Patients Number of Patients Number of Patients
(Percentage) (Percentage) (Percentage)
17-19 40 (83%) 8 (17%) 48 (100%)
20-29 69 (88%) 9 (12%) 78 (100%)
30-39 35 (88%) 5 (12%) 40 (100%)
40-49 34 (94%) 2 (6%) 36 (100%)
50-59 32 (80%) 8 (20%) 40 (100%)
60-69 28 (74%) 10 (26%) 38 (100%)
70 18 (37%) 31 (63%) 49 (100%)

The seasonal frequency of fresh femoral shaft fractures has varied: the frequency has
been lowest in January (2.7%) and highest in July (10.6%), as shown in Table 7. (Koot-
stra 1973).

30
Table 7. Seasonal frequency of patients sustaining femoral shaft fractures by Kootstra (1973)
(N = 329).

Season Frequency

Number Percentage

Winter (December - February) 56 17%

Spring (March - May) 73 22%

Summer (June - August) 94 29%

Autumn (September November) 106 32%

All 329 100%

The distribution of pre-existing diseases among patients sustaining femoral shaft frac-
tures has previously been 28.6%, and in patients aged 70 years or older 61% (Table 8.)
(Kootstra 1973). The most common general disease involved the circulatory system (Koot-
stra 1973). The most common local disease of the same limb was osteoarthritis of the
ipsilateral hip (Table 9.) (Kootstra 1973), a location that may contribute to the emergence
of the fracture (Aufranc, Jones, Stewart 1965).

Table 8. Age-related distribution of pre-existing disease among patients sustaining femoral

shaft fractures by Kootstra (1973) (N=329 patients).

Age Group Pre-existing Disease No Pre-existing Disease All

Years Number Number Number
(Percentage) (Percentage) (Percentage)
17-19 3 (6%) 45 (94%) 48 (100%)
20-29 13 (17%) 65 (83%) 78 (100%)
30-39 10 (25%) 38 (75%) 48 (100%)
40-49 7 (19%) 29 (81%) 36 (100%)
50-59 17 (43%) 23 (57%) 40 (100%)
60-69 14 (37%) 24 (63%) 38 (100%)
70 30 (61%) 19 (39%) 49 (100%)

31
Table 9. Distribution of different pre-existing diseases among patients sustaining femoral
shaft fractures (Kootstra 1973) (N=329 patients).

Pre-existing disease Number

(Percentage)

General
Respiratory system 18 (5.5%)
Circulatory system 24 (7.3%)
Digestive tract 12 (3.6%)
Urogenital system 5 (1.5%)
Cerebrospinal system 16 (4.9%)
Endocrine diseases 9 (2.7%)
Mental disorders 15 (4.6%)
Other systemic diseases 10 (3.0%)
Pre-existent abnormalities of suspensory and locomotor apparatus 22 (6.7%)
Local (ipsilateral)
Hip-joint disease (osteoarthritis) 13 (4.0%)
Condition after hip fracture 6 (1.8%)

For displaced fatigue fractures of the femoral shaft, previous studies have mainly been
case reports (Asal 1936; Wolfe and Robertson 1945; Morris and Blickenstaff 1967; Hal-
lel, Amit, Segal 1976; Orava 1980; Luchini, Sarokhan, Micheli 1983; Dugowson, Drink-
water, Clark 1991; Visuri and Hietaniemi 1992; Clement et al. 1993), although two more
extensive studies have been published (Provost and Morris 1969; Bargren, Tilson, Bridg-
eford 1971), but the true incidence, the morphologic characteristics, and the long-term
treatment results of these fractures have not been systematically examined before.

2.9. Location, morphology and soft-tissue injuries of femoral shaft fractures

in adults
According to Dencker (1963), the predilection of femoral shaft fractures for the right
side has been 53.1% versus 46.9% on the left side. The difference was non-significant
when compared to the left side predilection (54.4% versus 45.6%) in the Kootstra study
in 1973. The difference between the study by Dencker in 1963, with 471 fractures on the
left side and 532 fractures on the right side, and that by Kootstra (1973), with 179
fractures on the left side and 150 fractures on the right side was statistically significant
(p<0.05) (Kootstra 1973). The left femur was often involved in traffic accidents (59%)
with right side traffic, and the right femur often in occupational accidents (75%) due to
unknown reasons. The difference was significant (p<0.001) (Kootstra 1973). The left-
right distribution in domestic accidents was almost equal (Table 10.) (Kootstra 1973).
Denckers study in 1963 concerned Sweden, where traffic kept to the left at that time,
but Dencker presented no left-right distribution in relation to traffic.

32
Table 10. Accident type and laterality among femoral shaft fractures in adults (N=320*)
(Kootstra 1973).

Type of Accident Fracture Location

Left Femur Right Femur
Number Number
(Percentage) (Percentage)
Traffic on foot 16 (55%) 12 (45%)
Traffic on two wheels 77 (59%) 53 (41%)

Traffic in car 49 (58%) 35 (42%)

Occupational, direct injury 5 (31%) 11 (69%)
Occupational, indirect injury 3 (21%) 11 (79%)
Sports 0 (0%) 2 (100%)
Domestic 22 (48%) 24 (52%)
*The injury mechanism was unclassifiable in 9 patients.

The distribution of open femoral shaft fractures has been 12-27% (Dencker 1963; Bli-
chert-Toft and Hammer 1970; Kootstra 1973). By the definition of Kootstra (1973), in
open fractures, the continuity of the skin at the fracture site is interrupted, from the inside
or from the outside. Open femoral shaft fractures were caused in traffic accidents in
16%, at work in 19%, and at home in 2% (Kootstra 1973). In the traffic group, 11% of
open fractures were related to moving on foot, 17% to moving on two wheels, and 18%
occurred in a car (Kootstra 1973). Six open femoral shaft fractures occurred at work:
three from direct and three from indirect injury (Kootstra 1973). Most of the open wounds
were 1-6 cm (Kootstra 1973). In the direct injuries the skin lesion was more severe; the
wound was larger than 6 cm in two and in one there was a skin defect. The wounds in the
indirect injuries were all smaller than 6 cm (Kootstra 1973).

By morphology, Kootstra (1973) divided femoral shaft fractures into bending fractures
(68.4%), encompassing transverse, oblique, and transverse or oblique fractures with a
butterfly; comminuted fractures (19.1%); and torque fractures (9.7%), encompassing
spiral fractures and spiral fractures with butterfly. In 2.7% of the studied fractures, the
information was insufficient or the fracture unclassifiable or a double fracture (Kootstra
1973). The frequency of spiral fractures was higher among females (Table 11.).

Table 11. Gender-specific morphology of femoral shaft fractures (N=320 patients*) (Kootstra
1973).
Fracture morphology Males Females All
Number Number Number
(Percentage) (Percentage) (Percentage)

Bending fractures 171 (76%) 54 (24%) 225 (100%)

Comminuted fractures 59 (94%) 4 (6%) 63 (100%)
Torque fractures 17 (53%) 15 (47%) 32 (100%)
*The injury mechanism was unclassifiable in 9 patients.

33
In the Dencker study, the most common fracture location was the middle third of the
femoral shaft (60% of the fractures) (Dencker 1963). In most cases the fracture was
transverse (32% of the fractures), which was more common fracture type (39%) in men
aged 50 years or younger. Long oblique fractures were more frequent in elderly women
aged 70 years or older (55%). Different morphologic types of femoral shaft fractures are
shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1. Different morphologic types of femoral shaft fractures:

A. A simple transverse AO Type 32-A3.2 fracture with minimal comminution (Winquist-Hansen
Grade I).
B. A simple oblique-transverse fracture without comminution (Winquist-Hansen Grade 0) of a
femur that had a distal femoral fracture treated with a plate 16 years earlier. The AO Type
depends on the size of the transverse or oblique component of the fracture.
C. A simple oblique AO Type 32-A2.2 fracture (Winquist-Hansen Grade 0).
D. A slightly comminuted (Winquist-Hansen Grade I) spiral AO Type 32-A1.2 fracture.
E. A spiral AO Type 32-B1.2 fracture with a bending wedge (butterfly fragment) (Winquist-
Hansen Grade III).
F. A comminuted irregular complex AO Type 32-C3.1 fracture of Winquist-Hansen Grade IV.
G. A segmental, AO Type 32-C2.1 fracture.
H. An oblique fracture of the middle third of the femoral diaphysis with minimal comminution
(Winquist-Hansen Grade I) and a dislocation of the knee.

34
Torque fractures were related to domestic accidents (75%) and to pre-existing hip-joint
disease (40.6%) (Kootstra 1973). Of the 16 fractures caused by occupational direct
injury, 6 fractures were comminuted. Traffic accidents caused 85% of the comminuted
fractures, and the majority of these accidents were car crashes (39.2%) (Kootstra 1973).
The largest percentage of open fractures was found among the comminuted fractures
(32% of open fractures) (Kootstra 1973).

In motor vehicle accidents and auto-pedestrian accidents, a transverse fracture is usually

sustained because of direct impact to the shaft or indirect force transmitted through the
knee, subjecting the femur to a high bending load (Bucholz and Brumback 1996). Motorcy-
clists are frequently victims of a direct side impact, hence sustaining comminuted fractures
(Bucholz and Brumback 1996). Gunshot wounds create spiral or comminuted fractures
(Bucholz and Brumback 1996). A small caliber gunshot missile causes a comminuted frac-
ture due to a direct impact of the bullet in the tubular bone of the diaphysis. In the metaphy-
seal bone it causes a drill hole fracture in the distal femoral metaphysis secondary to a direct
impact of the missile on the cancellous bone (Smith and Wheatley 1984).

2.10. Concomitant injuries associated with femoral shaft fractures

Concomitant injuries related to femoral shaft fractures include ipsilateral injuries of the
same lower extremity and other isolated injuries, as well as polytrauma. According to
Denckers study the prevalence of concomitant injuries has been 23% in 1963, and 45%
by Kootstra in 1973.

The prevalence of general associated injuries has been 45% (Kootstra 1973) including
shock (of which 24% were related to traffic accidents). General associated injuries were
related to traffic accidents in 57%, occupational accidents in 31%, or domestic accidents
in 4% (Kootstra 1973). A general associated injury was found in 77% of the patients who
sustained a femoral shaft fracture while seated in car (Kootstra 1973). Overall, accidents
sustained while seated in car comprised between 7.9% (Dencker 1963) and 25.5% (Koot-
stra 1973).

Craniocerebral injury has varied from 2.7% (Dencker 1963) to 10.9% (Kootstra 1973).
Facial fractures have occurred in 12.1% of cases (Dencker 1963; Kootstra 1973). Other
reported concomitant injuries are: injury in the humeroscapular area 20.0%, thoracic
injury without respiratory disturbances 6.7%, thoracic injury with respiratory distur-
bances 3.6%, vertebral fracture 1.2%, upper arm or elbow injury 5.8%, forearm or hand
injury 9.7%, contralateral femoral shaft fracture 1.8%, contralateral lower leg fracture
from 1.4% (Dencker 1963) to 3.3% (Kootstra 1973) of the cases, supra- or intracondy-
lar femoral fracture 1.2%, ankle or foot injury 2.4% or other injury 3.3% including
ruptured auricle of the heart, ascending aorta, spleen, liver, bladder or renal contusion
(Kootstra 1973).

Local injury associated with femoral shaft fracture is found in about every third case in
the traffic accident and indirect occupational injury groups. No local associated injury
was found in the direct occupational injury and domestic groups (Kootstra 1973).

35
Recognized injury of the superficial femoral artery occurs in less than 2% of patients with
fracture of the femoral shaft (Isaacson, Louis, Costenbader 1975; Barr, Santer, Steven-
son 1987; Kluger et al. 1994). Middiaphyseal femoral shaft fractures can be associated
with a false aneurysm of the superficial femoral artery as an intimal flap or a pseudoaneu-
rysm (Guemes et al. 1991; Kluger et al. 1994). A diagnostic arteriogram should be per-
formed, followed by therapeutic embolization (Levade et al. 1983). The profunda femoris
artery can be damaged in intramedullary nailing (Barnes and Broude 1985) for example
during the placement of the anteroposterior proximal locking screw in retrograde nailing
(Coupe and Beaver 2001).

Hip dislocation accounts for 0.3%, acetabular fracture 1.5%, and femoral neck or pertro-
chanteric fracture 3.4% of the femoral shaft fractures (Kootstra 1973). Ipsilateral pelvis
and femoral shaft fractures form a floating hip (Wu and Shih 1993; Mller et al. 1999)
and are often associated to chest trauma, other skeletal fractures or polytrauma (Mller et
al. 1999). The incidence has varied from 6.7% (Kootstra 1973) to 13%-22% (Mller et
al 1999). The pelvic fracture is mostly transverse or comprises posterior column or wall
(Mller et al. 1999).

Femoral shaft fractures combined with ipsilateral femoral neck fractures were first de-
scribed by Delaney and Street (1953). Hip fractures are detected in 1.2% (Kootstra 1973)
to 2.5%-5% of patients with femoral shaft fractures (Ashby and Anderson 1977; Casey
and Chapman 1979; Swiontkowski, Hansen, Kellam 1984; Friedman and Wyman 1986;
Swiontkowski 1987; Wiss, Sima, Brien 1992; Leung 2002) and are quite often missed in
polytrauma patients with femoral shaft fractures (Ostrum, Verghese, Santner 1993). Al-
though about 1/4 to 1/3 of primary neck fractures are initially detected after stabilization
of the shaft fracture (Bennett, Zinar, Kilgus 1993; Riemer et al. 1993), some of the frac-
tures have occurred during intramedullary nailing (Harper and Henstorf 1986; Harper and
Carson 1987). Diaphyseal fracture is usually comminuted, as the trauma energy dissi-
pates through shaft fracture (Wu, Shih, Chen 1993; Alho 1997; Mller et al. 1999). Hip
fracture remains relatively undisplaced or minimally displaced (Bennett, Zinar, Kilgus 1993)
and usually represents the Pauwels grade II type with a vertical shear (Wiss, Sima, Brien
1992). The ratio between concomitant femoral neck fractures and concomitant intertro-
chanteric fractures is 7:1 (Bennett, Zinar, Kilgus 1993). The femoral neck fracture is not
devoid of nonunion or malunion (Bucholz and Rathjen 1985; Bose, Corces, Anderson
1992; Wiss, Sima, Brien 1992; Bennett, Zinar, Kilgus 1993).

The incidence of fracture of the ipsilateral lower leg has varied from 0.5% (Dencker
1963) to 10.9% (Kootstra 1973). Ipsilateral femoral shaft and tibial shaft fractures cause
a Type 1 floating knee (Blake and McBryde 1975). The classification by Letts has five
subgroups depending on whether the fractures are closed and diaphyseal (A); closed, but
the other fracture is metaphyseal (B); the other is intra-articular (C); the other is open
(D); or both the fractures are open (E) (Letts, Vincent, Gouw 1986). Other classifica-
tions also exist (Fraser, Hunter, Waddell 1978). Besides being caused by a high energy
trauma with extensive skeletal and soft-tissue damage, floating knee is also associated
with potentially life-threatening injuries of the head, chest and abdomen (Veith, Winquist,

36
Hansen 1984). Knee dislocation (Chen and Wang 1998) or ligament injury (Szalay, Hosk-
ing, Annear 1990; van Raay, Raaymakers, Dupree 1991) can also associate with the
floating knee.

The incidence of arthroscopically verified concomitant meniscal injuries associated with

ipsilateral femoral shaft fractures in adults has varied from 27% (Barber et al. 1988;
Vangsness et al. 1993; Blacksin, Zurlo, Levy 1998) to 38% (DeCampos et al. 1994). In
arthroscopies, lateral meniscus has accounted for 17% and medial meniscus for 11% of
the meniscal tears which mostly are complex or radial (Vangsness et al. 1993). According
to a MRI study in 34 patients with closed femoral shaft fractures, the posterior horn of
the medial meniscus is most frequently torn (Blacksin, Zurlo, Levy 1998).

Ipsilateral injury to knee ligaments has been described in 17% to 48% of femoral shaft
fractures in studies that have included 30-50 patients (Ritchey, Schonholtz, Thompson
1958; Shelton, Neer, Grantham 1971; Hughston et al. 1976; Nagel, Burton, Manning
1977; Dunbar and Coleman 1978; Fraser, Hunter, Waddell 1978; Noyes et al. 1980; Viano
and Stalnaker 1980; Walker and Kennedy 1980; Rowntree and Getty 1981; Walker and
Stein 1982; Barber et al. 1988; McAndrew and Pontarelli 1988; Szalay, Hosking, Annear
1990; Dickob and Mommsen 1992; DeCampos et al. 1994; Blacksin, Zurlo, Levy 1998).
In a larger study including 309 patients the incidence of serious (Grade II and III) knee
ligament injury was 5.3% (Moore, Patzakis, Harvey 1988). Partial ACL injury has ac-
counted for 48% and total ACL injury for 5% of 40 arthroscopically examined knees
associated with a closed femoral shaft fracture and without any previous knee injury
(DeCampos et al. 1994). According to a MRI study, partial ACL tears were diagnosed in
6% of all 34 knees, while total ACL ruptures were not discovered at all (Blacksin, Zurlo,
Levy 1998). The medial collateral ligament was the most frequent site of ligamentous
injury (38%) followed by the posterior cruciate ligament (21%) verified by MRI (Black-
sin, Zurlo, Levy 1998). Injury of MCL has been identified arthroscopically in 15% of
cases (Barber et al. 1988) and clinically in 31% of cases (Walker and Kennedy 1980).
The incidence of arthroscopically identified concomitant PCL injury has varied from 7.5%
(DeCampos et al. 1994) to 15% (Barber et al. 1988). The proportion of LCL injuries has
varied from 0% (Barber et al. 1988) to 6% (Blacksin, Zurlo, Levy 1998) and 13% (Walker
and Kennedy 1980). Reports of collateral ligament injuries associated with femoral shaft
fractures have been infrequent (Pedersen and Serra 1968).

Other ipsilateral knee injuries associated to a closed femoral shaft fracture and demos-
trated with MRI have been knee effusion (97%), injuries of the extensor mechanism
(50%) including mainly abnormal signals of the patellar tendon in 41% and tears of patel-
lar or quadriceps tendons in 9% , bone bruises (22%), articular changes of the patella
(12%), ipsilateral fracture of the patella from 1.7% (Dencker 1963) to 5.8% (Kootstra
1973), fracture of the tibial plateau (3%), and meniscocapsular separation (3%) (Black-
sin, Zurlo, Levy 1998). Articular changes or chondromalacia of the ipsilateral knee have
been discovered in 50-53% of patients with femoral shaft fractures (Dunbar and Cole-
man 1978; Vangsness et al. 1993).

37
2.11. Diagnosis of femoral shaft fractures in adults

2.11.1. Clinical course

The clinical diagnosis of the fracture of the femoral shaft is usually obvious, with pain,
deformity, swelling, and shortening of the thigh (Bucholz and Brumback 1996). A thor-
ough physical examination is imperative, because most fractures are a result of high
speed trauma and associated injuries are common. Orthopaedic assessment of the entire
limb should be systematic and complete. The pelvic ring and the hip are inspected for
tenderness, swelling or ecchymosis may signal concomitant pelvic disruption or hip frac-
ture. Since the hip cannot be moved voluntarily by the patient, palpation of the groin and
buttock is important (Chaturvedi and Sahu 1993; Riemer et al. 1993). Fullness of the
buttock with flexion and adduction of the proximal femur can denote a posterior disloca-
tion of the hip (Bucholz and Brumback 1996).

The ipsilateral knee should be carefully examined before the application of skeletal trac-
tion and again after intramedullary nailing due to a high incidence of ipsilateral knee injury
in patients with femoral shaft fractures (Vangsness et al. 1993). Knee ligament injuries
have been identified even in patients with an operated floating knee (Szalay, Hosking,
Annear 1990; van Raay, Raaymakers, Dupree 1991). Routine arthroscopy of the ipsilater-
al knee has been recommended in several studies (Dickob and Mommsen 1992; De Cam-
pos et al. 1994). However, the clinical significance of concomitant complex and radial
meniscal tears remains unclear, and routine arthroscopy of the knees of all patients with
femoral fractures is unjustified (Bucholz and Brumback 1996).

Although neurovascular injuries are rarely associated with closed shaft fractures, a com-
plete preoperative examination for vascular and neurologic damage is mandatory (Bu-
cholz and Brumback 1996). Owing to severe pain and spasm accompanying femoral
fractures, the motor strength of muscles below the knee may be diminished. A careful
preoperative assessment of the hemodynamic stability of the patient is necessary, regard-
less of the presence or absence of associated injuries (Bucholz and Brumback 1996).
Distal pulses should be palpated and circulatory status evaluated (Bucholz and Brumback
1996). Angiography is indicated in injuries associated with at least one hard symptom
(pulse or neurological ischaemic deficiency) or at least two soft symptoms (haemato-
ma, haemorrhage, hypotension, malleobrachial index smaller than 1) (Rezek 2002). Al-
though few patients with isolated fractures of the femoral shaft are in hypovolemic shock
(Ostrum, Verghese, Santner 1993), major blood loss more than 1200 ml into the thigh is
present in most cases (Lieurance, Benjamin, Rappaport 1992).

In fatigue fractures, loadrelated pain is typical. Most runners report an increase in their
training during or immediately before the onset of pain, which during the first two weeks
becomes more strenuous after the training, but it may be delayed by several months
(Greaney et al. 1983; Jones et al. 1989; Maitra and Johnson 1997). Symptoms, such as
limping, local pain, tenderness, swelling or pitting edema of the surrounding soft-tissues,
are related to fatigue fractures (Wilson and Katz 1969; Daffner 1978; Markey 1987;
Sterling et al. 1992). Local tenderness can be detected by tapping the affected bone. To
increase the accuracy of diagnosis, several tests as a fulcrum test (Johnson, Weiss,

38
Wheeler 1994), a fist test (Milgrom et al. 1993), a hop test (Clement et al. 1993) have
been introduced. The clinical diagnosis is still difficult and nonspecific (Sallis and Jones
1991). In displaced fractures, symptoms and clinical findings resemble those of a con-
ventional bone fracture.

2.11.2. Radiographic findings

Before diagnostic radiographic studies of traumatic femoral shaft fractures are performed,
longitudinal traction or splinting of the extremity is applied to ensure minimal additional
soft-tissue injury to the thigh (Bucholz and Brumback 1996). If a Thomas splint is used,
the metallic ring and caliber should not obscure any part of the fracture. Nondisplaced
fractures of the femoral neck are frequently missed because of the overlying shadow of
a splint or inadequate quality of the preoperative radiograph (Bucholz and Brumback
1996). If the hip is externally rotated on the preoperative radiograph, there can be a
rotational artifact (Bucholz and Brumback 1996). In such cases, it is advisable to obtain
an anteroposterior radiograph of the hip with the proximal femur internally rotated in the
anesthetized patient before the operative procedure (Bucholz and Brumback 1996). Initial
radiographs should include an AP view of the pelvis and AP and lateral views of the knee
and the entire femur to allow detection of longitudinal cracks and nondisplaced comminu-
tion of the proximal and distal fragments (Bucholz and Brumback 1996). Lateral and
oblique radiographs are recommended to rule out fractures of the femoral condyles in the
coronal plane (the Hoffa fracture) (Bucholz and Brumback 1996).

In fatigue fractures radiographic changes can be seen 2-12 weeks after the onset of
symptoms (Sullivan et al. 1984; Matheson et al. 1987). The sensivity of radiographs is
15-35% in the early stage (Daffner 1978; Greaney et al. 1983). Fatigue fractures are seen
in 30-70% of cases only during the follow-up (Daffner 1978; Matheson et al. 1987). In
cortical bone, a grey-looking hypodensic area seen in compact bone is related to the
resorption phase of remodeling (Daffner 1978; Mulligan 1995). After that periosteal new
bone forms and endosteal bone thickens (Daffner 1978; Martin and Burr 1982; Greaney
et al. 1983). A fracture, if present, can be seen as a radiolucent line in compact cortical
bone and as a sclerotic line in cancellous bone (Daffner 1978; Mulligan 1995).

In most cases CT is less sensitive than conventional radiography for the detection of
fatigue injuries of bone. Certain fracture lines, such as longitudinal and spiral ones, can be
seen more clearly with CT (Daffner 1978; Matheson et al. 1987).

Scintigraphy has long been considered to be the best diagnostic method for bone fatigue
injuries (Daffner 1978) with a sensitivity close to 100% (Stafford e al 1986; Matheson et al.
1987). The scintigraphic classification according to Jones et al. (1989) has four different
grades for fatigue fractures. False negative diagnoses have been reported, possibly because
necrotic bone tissue is not labeled (Kanstrup 1997). An increase in uptake can be detected
as early as 6-72 hours after the onset of symptoms (Greaney et al. 1983; Matheson et al.
1987; Kanstrup 1997). An oval signal, the intensity of which correlates the severity, can be
seen with scintigraphy (Floyd et al 1987). Asymptomatic mild stress injuries are also visible
with scintigraphy as clusters of increased uptake (Daffner 1978; Matheson et al. 1987).

39
MRI with specific classifications for fatigue fractures (Fredericson et al.1995; Yao et al.
1998; Kiuru in 2002) is as sensitive but more specific than scintigraphy (Daffner 1978;
Stafford et al. 1986; Lee and Yao 1988; Meyers and Weiner 1991; Kiuru 2002). STIR
(short tau inversion recovery)- and T2 (transverse relaxation)- techniques can detect
non-specific edema (Daffner 1978; Stafford et al. 1986; Kiuru 2002), in the middle of
which a lower signal intensity is a sign of a fracture (Daffner 1978; Stafford et al. 1986).
MRI is most accurate during the first 3 weeks (Daffner 1978; Stafford et al. 1986;
Martin, Healey, Horowitz 1993). In case of uncertainty one can repeat the radiographic
and MRI examinations after 3-4 weeks (Lassus et al. 2002).

2.12. Treatment of femoral shaft fractures in adults

2.12.1. Development of conservative treatment of femoral shaft fractures

The history of femoral fracture management reflects the difficulties of maintaining the
anatomic alignment while encouraging early functional rehabilitation of the limb (Kessler
and Schweiberer 1989; Bucholz and Brumback 1996). Hippocrates (460-377 B.C.) treat-
ed femoral shaft fractures mainly with manual reduction (Rutkow 1993). Moreover, he
emphasized the importance of maintaining adequate extension in order to avoid femoral
shortening (van Loon 1935; Kootstra 1973). The treatment methods have evolved over
time from the use of wooden splints in ancient civilizations (Bucholz and Brumback
1996) to fabrics encased with wax (Bucholz and Brumback 1996), bandages stiffened
with clay (Kootstra 1973) or gum (Bucholz and Brumback 1996), and fabrics hardened
with plaster of Paris (Mathijsen 1854; Bucholz and Brumback 1996). Mechanical inade-
quacies of traditional treatments to maintain the proper fracture alignment were demon-
strated in the era of the skeletal radiography at the end of the 19th century (Bucholz and
Brumback 1996). Charnley emphasized that if sound bony union can be secured in three
months with conservative treatment, full recovery of the femoral shaft fracture will take
about one year, and that in some cases early knee movement may be responsible for
fibrous union (Charnley 1974). Bhler improved the systematic management and con-
servative treatment of fractures (Bhler 1957). At present, femoral shaft fractures in
adults are usually not treated conservatively except in underdeveloped countries, in catas-
trophe medicine or war surgery (Dufour et al. 1988; Coupland 1991; Coupland 2000).

2.12.2. Traction
The skin traction method was first introduced by de Chauliac in the 14th century (van
Loon 1935; Bucholz and Brumback 1996) and modified in the 19th century by Buck (Buck
1861). The major disadvantage of skin traction is the lack of means to apply sufficient
forces to the limb to obtain fracture reduction (Bucholz and Brumback 1996) and to avoid
possible skin necroses. Nowadays, traction has been used as a time-consuming primary
treatment method mainly in femoral shaft fractures among children, performed as skin or
skeletal traction with a percutaneous pin in the tibia or femur (Bucholz and Brumback
1996).

40
Skeletal traction techniques were introduced by Steinmann in 1907 (Steinmann 1907) and
by Kirschner in 1909 (Dencker 1963; Mays and Neufeld 1974; Bucholz and Brumback
1996). The Thomas splint improved control of the traction forces in providing counter-
action on the leg through its ring, and was used since World War I (Bucholz and Brum-
back 1996). Various skeletal tractions (Thomas splint with Pearson knee-flexion piece,
Braun frame, Russell traction, Perkins traction, Fisk traction, 90-90-traction) represent-
ed the most common method of definitive treatment of femoral shaft fractures for dec-
ades before the 1970s (Charnley 1974; Bucholz and Brumback 1996). The distal femur
has been successfully used for skeletal traction, as it offers a more direct longitudinal pull
of the fractured femur than the proximal tibia in similar traction. Skeletal traction through
the distal femur has associated with a higher rate of knee stiffness after fracture union
due to, undoubtedly, scarring of the vastus medialis and vastus lateralis (Bucholz and
Brumback 1996). Most skeletal traction methods require that the patient remains in the
supine position (Bucholz and Brumback 1996). The goal of skeletal traction is at first to
maintain the normal length of the limb. After 24 hours from injury, hematoma begins to
develop, and pulling the fracture to its normal length requires an increasing amount of
traction (Bucholz and Brumback 1996). With the traction, it is impossible to diminish the
traction force alone without jeopardizing the reduction stability. Gravity can not be used
to help in correcting the deformity of backward angulation, which should be corrected by
traction in the axis of the tibia (Charnley 1974). Traction of the proximal tibia is contrain-
dicated in concomitant ipsilateral knee injuries (Bucholz and Brumback 1996). Trans-
verse fractures are more difficult to treat with traction than oblique ones (Charnley 1974).
Skeletal traction therapy was continued for a patient until significant radiographic and
clinical evidence of fracture union was apparent, which usually required a minimum of 6
weeks of in-hospital care (Bucholz and Brumback 1996). The aftertreatment consisted of
progressive weightbearing with an unilateral weightbearing spica cast, (Bucholz and Brum-
back 1996). The spica cast was removed 3 to 6 months after injury, and range-of-motion
exercises of the ipsilateral hip and knee were started (Bucholz and Brumback 1996). The
Neufeld traction (Mays and Neufeld 1974) encases the limb and the Steinmann pin with
plaster casts, while traction is applied through a roller system that permits greater early
knee motion. The rotation of the foot can be maintained by the position of a cross-bar
fixed to the sole of the plaster traction unit (Charnley 1974). The 90-90-traction method
is not recommended for elderly patients for circulatory reasons (Miller and Welch 1978;
Bucholz and Brumback 1996) and knee subluxation (Miller and Welch 1978). The results
of traction therapy for fractures of the femoral shaft have been satisfactory (Dencker
1963; Moulton, Agunwa, Hopkins 1981). Nowadays skeletal traction is used as a supple-
mentary treatment method of femoral shaft fractures in adults.

2.12.3. Cast bracing

The development of cast brace systems (Mooney et al. 1970; Mooney 1974; Lesin,
Mooney, Ashby 1977; Meggitt, Juett, Smith 1981; Mooney and Claudi 1984) provides
ambulatory treatment and prevented the hip and knee contractures that were frequent
sequelae of the hip spica cast (Bucholz and Brumback 1996). In cast bracing of femo-
ral shaft fractures shortening and angulation were frequent particularly in the proximal
and midfemur (Sarmiento 1972). The cast brace permitted progressive weightbearing,

41
leading to gradual functional improvement in the muscles and joints and to increasing
skeletal stresses that stimulate fracture healing (Bucholz and Brumback 1996). The
fracture itself controlled the loading in a cast brace of a smooth, total contact plaster or
a plastic thigh cuff (Meggitt, Juett, Smith 1981) which carried 10% to 20% of the body
weight, and resisted lateral angulation produced by the thigh musculature (Bucholz and
Brumback 1996). The method was equally suitable for open fractures, fractures of the
distal third, or comminuted midshaft fractures (Connolly and King 1973; Montgomery
and Mooney 1981). Proximal shaft fractures, and simple transverse or oblique frac-
tures were less amenable to cast bracing because of their high stress concentration and
tendency toward angulation. Further, cast bracing was supplementary to a limited in-
ternal fixation with small-diameter nonlocked intramedullary nails (Sharma et al. 1993).
Cast brace was used to substitute the hip spica casting after 6 to 8 weeks as traction or
as a primary treatment after 1 to 2 weeks of traction. Serial radiographs were impera-
tive to check the alignment and judge the advisability of early weightbearing (Bucholz
and Brumback 1996).

2.12.4. Development of operative treatment of femoral shaft fractures

Early attempts of internal fixation of femoral fractures were complicated by infections
and implant failures (Bucholz and Brumback 1996). Lane introduced plates and screws in
1905, Lambotte the fixateur externe in 1907, and Hey Groves in 1918 a massive nail that
was used in the medullary cavity (Kntscher 1958; Bucholz and Brumback 1996). In
1939, Gerhard Kntscher from Kiel, Germany presented his first cases of intramedullary
fixation of a femur using a V-shaped cross-section-designed nail (Kntscher 1940a; Knt-
scher 1940b; Kntscher 1967) utilizing the principle of nailing used earlier for femoral
neck fractures (Kntscher 1940a). During the World War II, Kntscher served as a
wartime army surgeon in Kemi, Lapland and introduced the intramedullary nailing tech-
nique to Finnish surgeons (Kntscher 1948; Kntscher 1953; Lindholm 1979; Lindholm
1980; Lindholm 1982; Seligson 2001). The first known Kntscher nailing on a Finnish
patient was performed in 1942 (Lindholm 1979; Lindholm 1980; Lindholm 1982). In
1950s, Kntscher introduced the cloverleaf-sectioned nail and intramedullary reaming
(Kntscher 1959; Kntscher 1968). The Kntscher nail was indicated for transverse or
short oblique fractures of the middle third of the femoral shaft (Blichert-Toft and Ham-
mer 1970). A special Y-nail was used in pertrochanteric or subtrochanteric fractures
(Kntscher 1940). Of the dynamic or elastic pins, the Rush pin was elaborated on in the
1930s (Rush and Rush 1950; Rush 1968). The Kntscher nail had advantages compared
with the Rush rod (Rush 1968) and the flexible Ender pins (Eriksson and Hovelius 1979).
Although satisfactory results were obtainable for simple transverse and short oblique
fractures, and for fractures with unicortical comminution, complex patterns involving
long oblique, spiral, distal and comminuted fractures tended to shorten over the pins.
Additional cerclage wiring, external fixation, cast or postoperative traction was used on
rare occasions (Pankovich, Goldflies, Pearson 1979; Pankovich 1981). Despite tech-
niques such as stacking multiple nails in the canal and diverging the rods in the proximal
and distal fragments, the anatomic results have been poorer than those with interlocking
nails. Later, improvements in the mechanical properties and design of intramedullary nails,
innovations in instrumentation, modifications in the nail insertion technique, and the use

42
of fluoroscopy greatly contributed to the treatment of more complex and demanding
fractures (Bucholz and Brumback 1996; Street 1996).

In the 1960s the AO-group (Arbeitsgemeinschaft fr Osteosynthesefragen) of the Asso-

ciation for the Study of Osteosynthesis (ASIF) developed osteosynthesis techniques con-
sisting of intramedullary fixation as well as fixation by means of screws and plates, which
further enhanced the stability of the osteosynthesis by interfragmentary compression
(Mller et al. 1991). Other methods like screws alone, bone suture, or intramedullary pins
did not suffice to maintain the stable immobilization (Watson-Jones 1955; Bhler 1957;
Dencker 1963).

Many additional refinements in the nail system have been introduced since the original
Kntscher nail, but the basic concept and system remain unchanged. Intramedullary nail-
ing has been further developed by the methods of open and closed nailing, the introduc-
tion of interlocking nails (Klemm and Schellman 1972; Vittali, Klemm, Schellmann 1974;
Kempf, Grosse, Beck 1985; Contzen 1987), unreamed interlocking nailing techniques
(Krettek et al. 1994; Krpfl et al. 1995), and retrograde modifications in the nail insertion
(Stiletto and Baacke 2001; Krupp et al. 2003). Small-diameter nails are recommended in
medullary canals smaller than 8 mm, in fractures below noncemented femoral prosthe-
ses, or in fractures requiring intramedullary fixation that avoids physeal plates in young
children (Herscovici et al. 1992). At present, titanium nails are more frequently used in
femoral shaft fractures also in adults (Im and Shin 2002).

There has been a nearly unendless debate over whether fractures of long bones should be
operated on within 24 hours or with delay. Unstabilized fractures may cause soft-tissue
damage, fat embolism, and respiratory insufficiency (Beck and Collins 1973; Redi and
Wolff 1975; Wilber and Evans 1978; Seibel et al. 1985; Wald, Shackford, Fenwick 1993).
Fracture stabilization also has a positive effect on the patients pain, metabolism, muscle
tone, and body temperature, and, as a result, cerebral function (Giannoudis et al. 2002a).
Early works suggested that delayed fixation resulted in more rapid fracture healing (Charnley
and Guindy 1961; Lam 1964; Smith 1964). Retrospective investigations (Riska et al.
1977; Goris et al. 1982; Riska and Myllynen 1982; Johnson, Cadambi, Seibert 1985;
Meek, Vivoda, Pirani 1986; Boulanger, Stephen, Brenneman 1997) demonstrated improved
survival of a multiply injured patient who received fracture fixation within 24 hours of
injury resulting from a lower prevalence of sepsis due to a decrease in the rate of pulmo-
nary insufficiency. Patients with a chest injury are most prone to deterioration after an
intramedullary nailing procedure (Pape et al. 1993a). Higher incidences of pulmonary
complications, and prolonged stay in the hospital or in the intensive care unit related to
delayed femoral shaft fracture fixation were reported (Bone et al. 1989). In some studies
early long bone stabilization had no effect on the outcome with regard to mortality rate,
length of stay in the intensive care unit, need for mechanical ventilation, and total length
of hospital stay in patients with a head injury (Dunham et al. 2001). The prevalence of
ARDS has been significantly lower in plate fixation (p<0.001), in external fixation con-
verted into intramedullary nailing (p<0.002), and in primary intramedullary nailing (p<0.003)
(Pape, Giannoudis, Krettek 2002). The prevalence of early neurological deterioration was
38% in a group treated with early fixation without any early neurological deterioration

43
(Martens and Ectors 1988). No difference in the long-term neurological outcome has
been found between the patients treated with early fixation or with delayed fixation
(McKee et al. 1997). A significantly (p<0.0001) lower prevalence of perioperative neuro-
logical complications has been found in patients that have undergone early definitive frac-
ture fixation compared with patients treated with delayed fixation (Poole et al. 1992).
Opposite results in Glasgow Coma Scale have been found in multiply injured patients with
head and femoral shaft injuries treated with fixation within 24 hours after the injury
(Hofman and Goris 1991; Brundage et al. 2002). No increased risk of pulmonary or
cerebral complications was demonstrated in randomized prospective investigations relat-
ed to early femoral fixation in combination with head trauma (Lozman et al. 1986) and/or
long bone fractures (Poole et al. 1992).

By the 1980s, the accepted care of major fracture was early fixation within 24-48 hours
from injury or admission) fixation. Delayed fracture fixation was thus considered as
detrimental (Riska and Myllynen 1982; Talucci et al. 1983; Johnson, Cadambi, Seibert
1985; Bone et al. 1989; Charash, Fabian, Croce 1994), which has been disputed (Rogers
et al. 1994; Reynolds et al. 1995) or, especially in patients with head injury, challenging
(Jaicks, Cohn, Moller 1997; Velmahos et al. 1998; Pape et al. 2000).

Nowadays, the damage control orthopaedics also concerns the treatment of femoral shaft
fractures (OBrien 2003; Harwood et al. 2005; Hildebrand et al. 2005). The femoral shaft
fracture in multiply injured patient can be stabilized temporarily with an external fixation,
and later treated with an intramedullary nailing within 6-8 days rather than 2-3 days due to
increased inflammatory response (p<0.0001) (Pape et al. 1999b; Pape et al. 2003). The
increased survival of multiply injured patients by immediate fixation of long-bone frac-
tures was demonstrated in the 1970s and 1980s retrospectively (Riska et al. 1977; Goris
et al. 1982; Riska and Myllynen 1982; Johnson, Johnston, Parker 1984; Seibel et al. 1985;
Meek, Vivoda, Pirani 1986). A randomized prospective study showed that immediate
stabilization of femoral shaft fractures in the multiply injured patient resulted in a de-
creased prevalence of ARDS, fewer days in the intensive care unit, and decreased hospi-
tal costs (Bone et al. 1989).

Intramedullary nailing has been suggested to represent a second hit, with systemic phys-
iologic effects such as neutrophil activation, elastase release, and expression of adhesion
molecules (Giannoudis et al. 1999), in a trauma patient who has already sustained the first
hit of the initial injury. Damage control orthopaedics, with staged management of the
multiply injured patient with femoral shaft fractures by means of later conversion of
external fixation later to intramedullary nailing, has been proposed by several authors
(Nowotarski et al. 2000; Scalea et al. 2000; Pape, Giannoudis, Krettek 2002; Pape et al.
2002; Giannoudis 2003; Hildebrand et al. 2005). The method is used for unstable patients
(Pape et al. 2002; Roberts et al. 2005) and focuses on control of hemorrhage, manage-
ment of soft-tissue injury, and achievement of provisional fracture stability. Along with
severe chest (Hildebrand et al. 2005) and head trauma, haemorrhagic shock, coagulopa-
thy, hypothermia and high ISS (Pape, Giannoudis, Krettek 2002), damage control ortho-
paedics may also be applicable to patients with bilateral femoral fractures or femoral and
tibial fractures (Zalavras et al. 2005).

44
2.12.5. Plate fixation
During the 1960s and 1970s the treatment concepts of rigid internal fixation of femoral
shaft fractures followed by early limb rehabilitation gained wide acceptance because of
dissatisfactory results of nonoperative treatment (Dencker 1963; Seligson and Harman
1979; Hardy 1983). Open reduction with plating was employed on nearly all fractures of
the femoral shaft (Riska et al. 1977; Redi and Lscher 1979; Sprenger 1983; Cheng,
Tse, Chow 1985) or its use was limited to fractures that were amenable to intramedullary
nailing, with or without cerclage wiring (Petersen and Reeder 1950; Jensen, Johansen,
Morch 1977; Roberts 1977; Sprenger 1983). Multiple 90-90 plates were applied to the
femoral diaphysis to obtain more secure fixation (Petersen and Reeder 1950; Marshall
1958; Redi and Lscher 1979). Evacuation of the fracture and at least partial devascu-
larization of the femoral cortex were inevitable. Improvements in plate strength and de-
sign permitted fracture site compression and allowed single plating of fractures of the
femoral shaft. Routine bone grafting of comminuted femoral shaft fractures with open
plate fixation was recommended (Redi and Lscher 1979). Plate and screws were main-
ly indicated for transverse fractures and short oblique fractures, irrespective of their level
on the femoral shaft (Bhler 1957; Dencker 1963). An indirect reduction technique was
advocated by the ASIF -group to obtain fracture stabilization of complex injuries without
excess dissection, surgical manipulation, and anatomic reduction of the comminuted frac-
ture fragments (Riska et al. 1976; Mast 1989). Contraindications for plate fixation were
multiply injured patients with coagulopathy, preexisting skin infection, cardiac instability,
and severe head injury with uncontrollable and fluctuating intracranial pressure measure-
ments (Bucholz and Brumback 1996). The AO-technique required an extensive surgical
exposure of the lateral aspect of the femur for using a 10- to 12-hole dynamic compres-
sion plate (DCP) from the lateral approach. A minimum of five screws in both the prox-
imal and distal fragments were recommended (Bucholz and Brumback 1996). A minimal
number of intrafragmental screws, preferably through the plate, were inserted to prevent
excessive damage to the soft-tissues. All medial cortical defects were advised to be graft-
ed (Bucholz and Brumback 1996). Perioperative antibiotics were used to minimize the
chance of infection (Thompson et al. 1985). Active range of motion exercises for the
knee were encouraged soon after surgery. Full weightbearing was postponed until a com-
plete radiographic union was present. The delay in weightbearing for 3 to 5 months was
a major disadvantage of plating compared with closed reamed intramedullary nailing (Bu-
cholz and Brumback 1996). The popularity of plating decreased since its peak in the early
1970s (Gant, Shaftan, Herbsman 1970; Fisher and Hamblen 1978). The only remaining
advantage was that open plating did not require the wide spectrum of specialized operat-
ing room equipment and fluoroscopy that are necessary for closed intramedullary nailing
(Bucholz and Brumback 1996). Nowadays the Less Invasive Stabilization System (LISS)
has been used as a percutaneous plate osteosynthesis in distal femoral shaft fractures
(Schandelmaier et al. 2001; Schutz et al. 2001; Weight and Collinge 2004).

2.12.6. External fixation

At the beginning of the 20th century, Lambotte was among the first to use transfixation in
the treatment of fractures of the long bones and the method was improved by Anderson
in 1933, Stader in 1937, Haynes in 1939, and Hoffmann in 1941 (Dencker 1963). Exter-

45
nal fixation using percutaneous pins inserted proximal and distal to the fracture gained
initial popularity for the stabilization of fractures of the femoral shaft during World War
II. The lateral half-pin external fixator designs, pioneered by Wagner (Seligson and Kris-
tiansen 1978), was shown to provide adequate bone fixation and stabilization for more
complex femoral shaft injuries (Dabezies et al. 1984; DeBastiani, Aldegheri, Renzi Brivio
1984; Hughes 1984; Gottschalk, Graham, Morein 1985; Chevalley, Amstutz, Bally 1992).
The rigidity of femoral external fixators mainly depends on the pin diameter, which should
be at least 5mm (Chevalley, Amstutz, Bally 1992). The chief advantage of external fixa-
tion is that exercise can be started early after the injury. The functional outcome with this
method has been either excellent (Jackson, Jacobs, Neff 1978; Seligson and Kristiansen
1978; Dabezies et al. 1984) or decreased (Jackson, Jacobs, Neff 1978; Green 1982;
Alonso, Geissler, Hughes 1989). Disadvantages include difficulties in securing a good
fracture position and sufficient fixation.

External fixation of the femoral shaft has most often been used in high energy injuries in
which rapid, rigid fracture stabilization is required because of associated injuries (Broos,
Miserez, Rommens 1992). The major indication nowadays to use external fixation of the
femoral shaft is grade III open fractures excluding IIIA injuries (Bucholz and Brumback
1996). Circular or small-wire external fixators (Ilizarov) used in limb lengthening and
correction of posttraumatic deformity obstruct access to the thigh for the multiple debri-
dements and dressing changes required with grade III fractures. A comparative study
between external fixation and interlocking intramedullary fixation for closed fractures of
the femoral shaft disclosed distinctly superior clinical results with the intramedullary tech-
nique, although the severity of injuries between the two treatment groups was not identi-
cal (Murphy et al. 1988). Thus, external fixation can not be indicated in the routine
treatment of closed fractures of the femoral shaft (Murphy et al. 1988). A temporary
fixation is replaced by internal fixation once the emergency situation has been resolved
(Alonso, Geissler, Hughes 1989; Broos, Miserez, Rommens 1992; Bhandari et al. 2005).

2.12.7. Intramedullary nailing

2.12.7.1. Principle of intramedullary nailing

Intramedullary nailing provides a stable osteosynthesis through flexible impingement of
the nail in the bone and represents the ideal treatment of fractures, because it requires no
external fixation or special postoperative care (Kntscher 1958) and permits early joint
movement and weightbearing (Kntscher 1965). Intramedullary nailing delivers fewer
cases of malunion and fracture shortening; improved function, shorter hospitalization;
earlier return to work, and generally a rapid healing of the fracture (Carr and Wingo 1973;
Johnson, Johnston, Parker 1984). The nail involves longitudinal elasticity, as the Rush
pin, but also elastic compressibility in cross section (Kntscher 1958). The nail is in line
with the flow of forces (Kntscher 1935) of the femur (Kntscher 1968). Kntscher
emphasized the role of inflammation in stimulating callus formation in intramedullary
nailing (Kntscher 1967) even without a fracture (Kntscher 1940b; Kntscher 1970).

46
Kntschers principles in intramedullary nailing of long bones are: 1) nailing must be
performed under fluoroscope control without direct exposure of the fracture site in order
to avoid infection, 2) the nail must be strong enough to resist the stresses caused by
muscle contraction, joint movement, and weightbearing in order to to avoid nail bending
or breakage, and 3) the nail must have sufficient elasticity to compress during insertion,
and to re-expand once in place to bind the fragments firmly and thus to prevent rotation
at the fracture (Kntscher 1965). The principles are valid even now: reaming should be
performed cautiously, 1 mm wider than the diameter of the nail, and the sharpness of the
tip of the reamer should be adequate (Kntscher 1959).

Intramedullary nails are load-sharing devices with a minimal stress shielding (Kaartinen
1993) with favourable loading conditions of the femur by gravitational, muscular, and
ligamentous forces (Allen et al. 1968). The centrally located isthmus allows for endosteal
purchase both proximally and distally by an intramedullary rod. The load is born primarily
by the bone, which promotes fracture healing, prevents disuse osteoporosis, and reduces
the effects of stress protection minimizing the possibility of breakage of intramedullary
nails (Chapman 1996). The mechanical property of the nail-bone composite has benefits
compared with plate fixation. Intramedullary nailing provides good bone stability with
limited soft-tissue exposure and dissection. The fracture callus is loaded progressively,
stimulating healing and remodeling (Bucholz and Brumback 1996).

Besides vascular changes, reaming also results in thermal necrosis of the inner cortex
(Schemitsch et al. 1995; Leunig and Hertel 1996) and consequent cortical porosity (Hus-
by et al. 1989; Mller, Frigg, Pfister 1993; Mller et al. 1993a; Schemitsch et al. 1998). In
animal studies, the adverse effects of rigid intramedullary nailing on cortical bone were
mediated predominantly through soft-tissue trauma (Kaartinen 1993). Extensive reaming
of the medullary canal, especially when combined with open reduction of the fracture,
should be preferably avoided, because it widens the medullary canal and increases the
porosity of the cortical bone (Kaartinen 1993). Pressure increases in the intramedullary
cavity and vessels are occluded by fat embolism and bone particles (Klein et al.1990;
Mller, Frigg, Pfister 1993; Mller et al. 1993b, Strmer 1993; Wozasek et al. 1994;
Leunig and Hertel 1996; Krpfl et al. 1997). Reaming of the femoral nail results in in-
creased intramedullary pressure from 70 mmHg during unreamed nailing to 200-600
mmHg during reamed nailing and increased embolization (Martin et al. 1996) measured
by echocardiography of the inferior vena cava and the right atrium (Wenda et al. 1993).
The effect is increased by blunt reamer tips (Mller, Rahn, Pfister 1992; Mller et al.
1993a; Muller et al. 1993b; Mller et al 1993c; Mller et al 1994; Mller et al. 1998; Mller
et al. 2000).

Fat particles and bone debris are pressed extraosseally through the fracture. In tibia,
intramedullary nailing has increased temporarily the pressure in the adjacent compart-
ments, the perfusion of the surrounding muscles and muscle blood flow (Schemitsch,
Kowalski, Swiontkowski 1996; Hupel, Aksenov, Schemitsch 1998) and the excretion of
the urinary metabolites of prostacyclin and thromboxane (Lindstrm 1999). Unreamed
nailing, where the nail is inserted gently, avoids high pressure peaks (Heim, Schlegel,
Perren 1993; Heim et al. 1995) and has been advocated as a method to reduce bone

47
marrow embolization to the lungs (Pape et al. 1993c) and the rate of infection after open
fractures (Canadian Orthopaedic Trauma Society 2003). Pulmonary capillary permeabil-
ity is increased by the release of various mediators due to triclycerides, and other mar-
row elements (Pape et al. 1993a; Pape et al. 1993b; Wenda et al. 1993; Pape et al. 1994).
Embolization may trigger the development of ARDS.

Other reported effects of reaming have been an increased consumption of coagulation

factors (Pape et al. 1998; Robinson et al. 2001) and an increased risk of infection in open
fractures (Canadian Orthopaedic Trauma Society 2003). Although unreamed nailing is
preferred in the treatment of femoral shaft fractures in multiply injured patients (Pape et
al. 1994; Pape et al. 1999b; Pape et al. 2002; Pape et al. 2004), reaming is in general still
recommended (Goris et al. 1982; Winquist, Hansen, Clawson 1984; Dabezies and
DAmbrozia 1986; Lozman et al. 1986; Brumback et al. 1988a; Brten, Terjesen, Rossvoll
1995; Grover and Wiss 1995; Williams et al. 1995; Bucholz and Brumback 1996; Brum-
back and Virkus 2000; Canadian Orthopaedic Trauma Society 2003).

Reaming of the canal deposits at the fracture site increases the amount of cortical bone
fragments and marrow elements, which are thought to have osteoinductive properties
(Kessler et al. 1986; Paley et al. 1986; Mizuno et al. 1990; Einhorn 1995; Furlong, Gian-
noudis, Smith 1997; Chapman 1998). Even though no biologic effect from the reaming
has been ascertained (Reichert, MCCarthy, Hughes 1995), intensive new-bone formation
around the reaming effluent, seen both on histological sections and on radiographs, has
been described (Grundnes, Utvag, Reikers 1994a; Grundnes, Utvag, Reikers 1994b).
Unreamed nailing has been associated with lower rates of fracture healing. However,
good results after femoral nailing without reaming have been demonstrated as well (Krp-
fl et al. 1995; Krettek et al. 1996). Recent studies have yielded contradictory results in the
use of small diameter nails, with the average nail diameter of 10 mm, without reaming
(Boyer et al. 1996; Tornetta and Tiburzi 1997; Hammacher, van Meeteren, van der Werk-
en 1998; Tornetta and Tiburzi 2000, Canadian Orthopaedic Trauma Society 2003).

Intramedullary reaming enhances a greater fracture stability with a larger nail (Kessler et
al. 1986; Reikers, Skjeldal, Grogaard 1989). A tightly fit nail induces a greater periosteal
reaction (Grundnes and Reikers 1994). Concerning the effect of rotational stability or
stiffness (Mlster 1985; Wang et al. 1985; Mlster et al. 1987) or thickness (Anderson,
Gilmer, Tooms 1962; Reikers 1990) of the intramedullary nail on fracture healing of a
long bone, stress in the rat femur was reduced with stable intramedullary nails (Mlster
1985). Interlocking nailing controlled femoral length and rotation without the risks of
tissue devitalization, quadriceps scarring, blood loss, and infection from plate fixation.
Interlocking intramedullary nail (Kempf, Grosse, Beck 1985; Bhandari et al. 2005) ena-
bles treatment of the more severe degrees of comminution of the shaft. The treatment
choice is influenced by the analysis of the type of the fracture, the nature of the fracture,
and by the patient (age, functional demands), as well as the environment, and the skill of
the surgeon (Bucholz and Brumback 1996). In simple midshaft fractures, large-diameter
nails that fill the medullary cavity automatically rectify the normal alignment of the femur.
Similar restoration of the anatomic length and alignment is possible with comminuted
fractures, and those proximal or distal to the midshaft with higher technical precision

48
(Bucholz and Brumback 1996). Only severely comminuted and distal fractures may re-
quire protected weightbearing during the early stages of fracture healing. Nails allow
cyclic compressive loading across the fracture site, which improves callus formation and
remodeling.

Specialized instrumentation and radiographic facilities are needed in closed intramedul-

lary nailing, where the fracture is reduced by external manipulation and the nail is insert-
ed through the end of the bone without damage to the periosteal vasculature (Chapman
1996). Because the fracture hematoma is not evacuated with closed nailing, the early
action of local cellular and humeral agents critical to normal fracture healing is not dis-
turbed. The lesser surgical dissection indicates a lower infection rate and less quadriceps
scarring (Bucholz and Brumback 1996). After closed nailing, shaft fractures predictably
heal with abundant callus formation and little or no osteopenia of the major fracture
fragments. Owing to the greater diameter of the callus and the neocortex at the fracture
site, the strength of the bone may actually be greater than normal.

In open nailing, where fracture site is opened directly through the surrounding muscles
to achieve reduction and insertion of the nail, the nailing is faster and does not always
require visualization by fluoroscopy, but also predisposes the fracture site to possible
nonunion by increasing the infection rate and decreasing the blood supply to the fracture
(Chapman 1996).

Dynamic nailing has been recommended in simple fractures of the femoral shaft (Yamaji
et al. 2002). Biomechanical studies have demonstrated that there is no significant differ-
ence in the torsional rigidity or axial load to failure when one, as opposed to two, distal 6
mm screw is used with slotted nails for midshaft or proximal fractures (Hajek et al.
1993). Limited clinical studies confirm the adequacy of a single locking screw for most
proximal and midshaft injuries, although migration of the simple distal locking screw can
occur (Hajek et al. 1993). For comminuted fractures, a certain type of interlocking is
used depending on the fracture morphology (Winquist, Hansen, Clawson 1984). Most
locking nails have a cloverleaf cross-sectional design with one proximal hole and two
distal holes for locking of the major fracture fragments. Transfixation screws are insert-
ed under radiographic control. Screws in the proximal hole or the distal holes alone yield
a dynamic fixation for fractures with potential instability of axial compression and
rotation. Static locking with screws in both proximal and distal fragments is indicated in
fractures in which both shortening and malrotation are possible (Bucholz and Brumback
1996). Locking of the fracture fragments to the nail appears to have no deleterious effect
on the rapid healing that is evident after simple Kntscher nailing. Routine static locking
of all fractures eliminates postoperative loss of fixation secondary to unrecognized frac-
ture comminution, which occasionally occurs after unlocked nailing (Bucholz and Brum-
back 1996). The clinical outcome has been similar regardless of which interlocking nail-
ing system is used (Cameron et al. 1992). While a single screw may not provide adequate
stabilization of distal-third fractures (Bucholz and Brumback 1996), the Brooker-Wills
distal locking fins were equally inadequate and provided insufficient resistance to axial
compression (Bankston, Keating, Saha 1992). The use of two distal locking screws with
titanium intramedullary nails has been recommended (Im and Shin 2002).

49
The goals of interlocking nailing of femoral fractures are not so much to influence the
normal cascade of fracture healing as to provide a stable nail-bone construct during the
healing process. Interlocking nails were suited to handle severe fracture comminution,
bone loss, and a proximal or distal fracture level of open fractures (Wiss et al. 1986;
Johnson and Greenberg 1987). The biomechanical demands concerning the intramedul-
lary nail depend on e.g. fracture location and comminution, patient size, and bone mor-
phology (Bucholz and Brumback 1996). Simple transverse and short oblique midshaft
fractures without associated fractures or soft-tissue injuries have been recommended to
be treated by closed interlocking nailing (Bucholz and Brumback 1996). Standard clover-
leaf nails have been found to be contraindicated for type III and type IV comminuted
fractures due to the risk of fracture shortening around the nail. Small-diameter nails fail to
fill the canal, allowing even type I and type II comminuted fractures to telescope around
the nail. Before interlocking nails, standard cloverleaf nails supplemented with a minimum
of two cerclage wirings of major cortical fragments were widely used for comminuted
fractures (Bucholz and Brumback 1996) or for spiral or long oblique fractures (Dencker
1963). The treatment resulted in slow healing observed after open intramedullary nailing,
and possible disruption of the fracture hematoma by cerclage. The clinical results with
cerclage wiring are satisfactory, and inferior to those of closed static intramedullary nail-
ing (Wu et al. 1993). Static locking of the major fracture fragments prevents postopera-
tive shortening and malrotation. The results of interlocking nailing have been good (John-
son, Johnston, Parker 1984; Thoresen et al. 1985; Wu and Shih 1991).

The antegrade insertion of intramedullary nails can result in iatrogenic bursting of either
the proximal or distal fracture fragments. The average antecurvature of the femoral shaft
in an adult has a radius of curvature of about 110 cm (Harper and Carson 1987). Inter-
locking nails are prebent, but differences between the curvature of the nail and of the
femur develop stresses in the femoral canal during nail insertion if the canal is not over-
reamed (Bucholz and Brumback 1996). The entrance portal should be located in line with
the longitudinal axis of the femoral canal. An anterior starting hole in front of the piri-
formis fossa results in distortion of the nail and increased stress within the canal (Tencer,
Sherman, Johnson 1985; Johnson, Tencer, Sherman 1987). An excessively lateral en-
trance portal can cause eccentric placement of the nail and medial comminution of the
proximal fracture fragment (Bucholz and Brumback 1996).

A fractured femur fixed with a standard intramedullary nail of 12 to 14 mm in diameter is

50% to 70% as stiff as an intact femur in bending (Johnson et al. 1986), regardless of the
nail design. With static interlocking, the nail fails at about four times body weight (John-
son et al. 1986). If the load is exceeded, proximal screw cuts out through the trochanter,
or the nail bends at the fracture site. The Brooker-Wills interlocking nail has failed at a
lower load of 1.5 times body weight by the distal fins cutting through the metaphyseal
bone. The torsional stiffness of the nail is much less than that of the intact femur, with
slotted nails being only 3% as stiff and nonslotted nails about 50% as stiff (Bucholz and
Brumback 1996). The torsional flexibility of interlocking nails does not lead to rotational
instability of the fracture despite the spring-back effect caused by interlocking the major
fracture fragments (Bucholz and Brumback 1996).

50
The presence of a longitudinal slot, beginning at the distal end of the nail and extending to
or within a few centimeters of the proximal tip, permits elastic impingement of the com-
pressed nail on the endosteal surface of the bone (Bucholz and Brumback 1996). This
minimizes malrotation and shortening of the fracture (Kntscher 1967). The slotted nail
reduces the torsional stiffness by 15- to 20-fold compared with the nonslotted nail (Tenc-
er et al. 1984), lowers the fatigue strength of the nail (Allen et al. 1968), and decreases the
amount of metal around the locking screw holes. Thickening the wall of slotted nails can
weaken the beneficial effects, but also diminish the elastic impingement of the nail on the
proximal and distal fracture fragments. Close-section nonslotted nails increase the amount
of metal around the screw holes lessening the risk of metal fatigue fracture. By varying
the wall thickness, the bending stiffness of nonslotted nails can be changed to mimic that
of slotted nails, particularly in the elderly patients in whom large-diameter nails are used
(Alho et al. 1992).

Fixation stability concerning compression and rotation also diminishes, when the fracture
is located in a distance proximal or distal to the isthmus of the medullary canal. Fracture
angulation into varus or valgus is possible during surgery in eccentric nail insertion out of
alignment with the longitudinal axis of the canal. Subtrochanteric and high proximal-third
fractures are subjected to major muscular forces and high concentrations of tensile forc-
es along the lateral cortex (Scheuba 1970). Supracondylar fractures have similar load
concentrations in both the sagittal and frontal planes. Infraisthmal fractures include most
distal third shaft fractures (Bucholz and Brumback 1996). Major loading of this region of
the femur results in a higher nonunion rate with interlocking nails than seen in midshaft
fractures (Bucholz and Brumback 1996).

2.12.7.2. Technique of intramedullary nailing of femoral shaft fractures and aftertreatment

Intramedullary nailing of fresh femoral shaft fractures can be performed with the patient
in either the supine or lateral position on the fracture table (Acker, Murphy, DAmbrosia
1985; McFerran and Johnson 1992; Baumgrtel et al. 1994), with a traction applied through
the proximal tibial or distal femoral pin, with the knee bent 60 and in internal rotation of
10-15. The supine position is preferable in patients with multiple injuries, especially
when associated with pulmonary injury, unstable spine or pelvic fractures, or contralater-
al femoral fracture, or in case of second-generation nails. The disadvantages include a
limited entrance portal of the nail in the trochanteric fossa, a possibility of varus angula-
tion of proximal third fractures, and a long incision needed for obese patients. Lateral
position allows an easier entrance portal, while presenting problems in rotatory malalign-
ment (Bucholz and Brumback 1996). Intramedullary nailing without a fracture table (Wo-
linsky et al. 1999) with the use of a distractor (Baumgrtel et al. 1994; McFerran and
Johnson 1992) or manual traction (Stephen et al. 2002) has also been recommended.

From the lateral incision, extending from 1 cm distal to the tip of the greater trochanter
superiorly for 8 to 10 cm, the fascia lata and the fibers of gluteus maximus are divided in
line with the skin incision. The gluteus medius and minimus are freed from the underlying
hip capsule. From the trochanteric or piriformis fossa, the awl is inserted and initial
reaming is performed with the 6 to 9 mm reamers, after the bulb-tipped guide pin has

51
passed into the medullary canal of the distal fragment at the intercondylar notch. A small-
diameter Kntscher nail can be placed into a previously reamed proximal fragment.

In fractures of the distal third of the shaft, the distal fragment angles posteriorly and must
be supported in the supine position (Bucholz and Brumback 1996). In the lateral position,
the distal fragment sags into the valgus position. After the length of the possible nail is
measured, flexible reamers starting with the 9 mm end-cutting reamer are used to enlarge
the medullary canal. Proceeding at 0.5 mm increments, until endosteal cortical contact of
the reaming heads over a segment of 2 to 3cm of both the proximal and distal fragments
is achieved, the canal is overreamed at least 0.5 mm for simple cloverleaf nails, and 1 mm
for interlocking nails, to avoid incarceration of the nail or iatrogenic comminution of the
fracture (Bucholz and Brumback 1996). Distal third fractures especially require at mini-
mum 1 mm to 1.5 mm overreaming of the proximal fragment. It has been documented
that the cylindrical AO reamer design can occlude the canal resulting in a significant
increase in pulmonary artery pressure and pulmonary capillary permeability damage com-
pared with other reamers (Pape et al. 1994). The 3 mm bulb-tipped guidewire is ex-
changed to the 4 mm straight guide pin through a plastic medullary tube and the nail is
driven into the proximal fragment (Bucholz and Brumback 1996).

Locking screws are indicated in Winquist-Hansen Grade III and Grade IV comminuted
fractures, segmental oblique and comminuted, in long spiral, in proximal or distal oblique
or comminuted fractures (Winquist, Hansen, Clawson 1984). Transverse midshaft frac-
tures are considered appropriate for nailing without static locking of the major fracture
fragments (Bucholz and Brumback 1996). Several targeting techniques (Granhed 1998)
and hand-held targeting devices for inserting the distal locking screws have been intro-
duced (Hansen and Winquist 1978; Medoff 1986; Levin, Schoen, Browner 1987; Blum-
berg et al. 1990; Coetzee and van der Merwe 1992), or a free-hand technique is used
(Bucholz and Brumback 1996). After closed femoral nailing, a major advantage of inter-
locking nails is the relatively pain-free mobilization possible even with highly comminuted
fractures (Bucholz and Brumback 1996). Dynamically locked nails with equivocal pur-
chase on the unlocked fragment may need protection against malrotation until the pa-
tients muscle tone and strength return.

Quadriceps-strengthening exercises and progressive weightbearing are instructed. Weight-

bearing is delayed only in patients with very proximal or distal fractures that are at risk for
implant fatigue failure, and in patients with ipsilateral extremity injuries, such as knee liga-
ment tears (Bucholz and Brumback 1996). Full range of motion of the knee can be expected
in 4 to 6 weeks after a simple nailing. Serial radiographs at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after
nailing should be obtained until fracture healing and remodeling are achieved and verified.
Dynamization of the statically locked nail by removal of the screws farthest from the frac-
ture has rarely been indicated, except in cases of delayed healing 3 to 4 months after injury
(Brumback et al. 1988a; Brumback et al. 1988b). According to a previous report, signif-
icant axial femoral shortening has resulted from dynamization (Wu 1997). Routine nail
removal is not mandatory (Miller et al. 1992). In young patients, the nail can be removed
1 to 2 years after injury if fracture remodeling has proceeded normally (Bucholz and
Brumback 1996). Clinically important (p=0.025) bone loss measured by volumetric

52
bone mineral density has been reported in the proximal femur of the fractured limb at the
time of intramedullary nail removal (Krger et al. 2002). No protection in the form of casts
or delayed weightbearing is necessary after nail extraction (Brumback et al. 1992b).

In the elderly patients, the osteopenic cortical bone is often comminuted despite the low-
velocity mechanism of injury (Moran, Gibson, Gross 1990), and rigid intramedullary
fixation is recommended to allow full weightbearing on the leg (Hubbard 1974; Moran,
Gibson, Gross 1990; Alho, Ekeland, Strmse 1992). On the other hand, a large, stiff nail
can create a stress riser effect in the proximal femur, and thus predispose to subsequent
femoral neck or peritrochanteric fractures (Moran, Gibson, Gross 1990).

The multiply injured patient with an open femoral fracture should be treated with imme-
diate stabilization. Open fractures of the femoral shaft due to high energy accidents are
frequently accompanied by injuries to multiple organ systems (Anderson and Gustilo
1980; Chapman 1980; Chapman 1986). Before the 1980s, closed intramedullary nailing
was not commonly performed for open femoral fractures (Chapman and Mahoney 1979;
Lhowe and Hansen 1988; Brumback et al. 1989). Delayed intramedullary nailing 5 to 7
days after wound closure, allowing the immune system to control existing fracture-site
contamination in grade I and grade II fractures, was used (Chapman 1986). Immediate
stabilization in grade I and II open injuries has been proved to be a safe technique (Win-
quist, Hansen, Clawson 1984), the prevalence of infection being 2% (Winquist, Hansen,
Clawson 1984; Lhowe and Hansen 1988; Brumback et al. 1989; OBrien et al. 1991;
Grosse et al. 1993). The Gustilo classification categorizes any open fracture in which
debridement is delayed for more than 8 hours as a grade III open fracture, where imme-
diate intramedullary nailing has been contraindicated (Brumback et al. 1989). Farm acci-
dents, gunshot blasts and explosions are considered grade IIIB open fractures, and they
have high rates of infection, regardless of the method of fracture fixation (Chapman
1986). Grade IIIA open fracture can be safely treated with immediate intramedullary
nailing, if the debridement is performed within 8 hours of injury. If the debridement is
delayed, or if a grade IIIB injury is present, then external fixation and delayed conversion
of external fixation to intramedullary nailing may be used for open femoral fractures. In
patients without multiple injuries, grade IIIA and selected grade IIIB open femoral shaft
fractures can be placed in temporary skeletal traction. Delayed intramedullary nailing is
performed 5 to 7 days after soft-tissue coverage. Isolated open fractures with severe
contamination require external fixation (Bucholz and Brumback 1996). Grade IIIB femo-
ral shaft fractures with bone loss have also been treated successfully with primary inter-
locking intramedullary nailing and additional bone grafting (Court-Brown and Browner
1996; Court-Brown, Masquelet, Schenk 2002). Grade IIIC fractures require arterial le-
sion repair along the attachment of external fixation. After revascularization of the limb,
this can be converted to intramedullary nailing even on the day of injury. The nailing is
performed through a standard antegrade approach on a fracture table. Bone grafting is
not necessary despite the loss of small devitalized cortical fragments from the injury and
debridement (Brumback et al 1989).

The fixation of concomitant femoral neck fractures can be antegrade intramedullary nail-
ing of the femoral shaft fracture combined with multiple pin or screw fixation of the

53
femoral neck fracture (Wiss, Sima, Brien 1992; Bennett, Zinar, Kilgus 1993; Leung et al.
1993), or the second generation interlocking nail (femoral reconstruction nail) (Alho 1997).

The treatment methods of floating knee have varied (Blake and McBryde 1975; Karl-
strm and Olerud 1977; DeLee 1979; Grana et al. 1984; Veith, Winquist, Hansen 1984;
Klemm and Brner 1986; Behr et al. 1987; Schieldts et al. 1996; Lobenhoffer, Krettek,
Tscherne 1997; Ostrum 2000; Arslan et al. 2003; Rios et al. 2004). At present, the most
convenient treatment according to literature seems to be to stabilize both fractures through
a single incision with retrograde intramedullary nailing of the femoral shaft and antegrade
nailing of the tibia (Ostrum 2000; Rios et al. 2004).

2.13. Outcome and complications of the treatment of femoral shaft fractures

2.13.1. Fracture union

The goals of all fracture management are an acceptable and lasting functional recovery
within a reasonable time considering the severity of the injury (Bstman et al. 1989), the
degree of anatomic restoration and the duration of the bony consolidation (Stappaerts et
al. 1986).

A femoral shaft fracture in adults is typically an injury of working age people (Kootstra
1973). Since the median value for the union time of this fracture lies between 12 and 18
weeks in most of the clinical reports, the financial and personal losses are considerable
even with an uncomplicated healing course. Moreover, delayed union can complicate the
healing of the fracture. The frequency of complications as well as the functional result
are associated with the primary severity of the injury, and the choice of the method of
treatment.

The rate of union has been 97-100% in closed fractures treated with traction (Buxton
1981). With cast bracing the fracture union rate of femoral shaft fractures has been 13 to
14 weeks from injury (Mooney et al. 1970; Hardy 1983; McIvor et al. 1984; Mooney and
Claudi 1984; Sharma et al. 1993).

The overall fracture union rate has been 90% to 95% with plate fixation (Magerl et al.
1979; Redi and Lscher 1979; Sprenger 1983) and fracture union has occurred at an
average of 17.2 weeks (Riemer et al. 1992). Most series of interlocking nailing report a
97% to 100% rate of union (Warmbrod, Yelton, Weiss 1976; Klemm and Brner 1986;
Wiss et al. 1986; Christie et al. 1988; Alho, Strmse, Ekeland 1991). Midshaft fractures
of the femur have healed clinically and radiographically within 12 to 24 weeks after
standard closed nailing (Stambough, Hopson, Cheeks 1991; Anastopoulos et al. 1993).
However, uneventful healing course without delay and an acceptable restoration of the
femur have been ascertained in 75% of patients with femoral shaft fractures treated with
plate fixation or intramedullary nailing (Bstman et al. 1989). Other authors that have
reported union rates approaching 100%, although some complications have been report-
ed (Kempf, Grosse, Beck 1985; Johnson and Greenberg 1987; Bergman et al. 1993).

54
The mean time for femoral shaft fracture healing has been less than 16 weeks without
reaming (Krpfl et al. 1995; Krettek et al. 1996; Tornetta and Tiburzi 2000), but also more
than 36 weeks for 57%, compared with 18% for those that had reaming (Clatworthy et
al. 1998). In other retrospective studies, no difference in nonunion or time to union
between reamed and nonreamed groups has emerged (Giannoudis et al. 1997; Reynders
and Broos 2000).

The union rate has been 93.3-100%, when external fixation was exchanged into reamed
intramedullary nailing 7-15 days after the initial procedure (Wu and Shih 1991; Hntsch et
al. 1993; Nowotarski et al. 2000).

2.13.2. Complications
Most of the patients who sustain femoral shaft fractures are young, and any complication
can have long-term effects. Complications necessitating prolonged time for recovery and
secondary surgery imply considerable personal and financial losses, even if the ultimate
radiographic and functional result would turn out satisfactory (Kootstra 1973; Bstman
et al. 1989). Historically, permanent disability has followed femoral shaft fractures in
25% of the adult patients (Kootstra 1973).

Undesirable results has been related to intramedullary nailing by open technique (Kamdar
and Arden 1974, Lozman et al. 1986), open nailing with cerclage wiring (Johnson, John-
ston, Parker 1984; Tscherne, Haas, Krettek 1986), and open reduction and plating of
open femoral shaft fractures (Magerl et al. 1979; Rittman et al. 1979; Redi and Lscher
1979; Bach and Hansen 1989; Green and Trafton 1991), or certain concomitant injuries
such as floating knee (Hee et al. 2001).

Mortality has varied from 0.2% related to pulmonary embolism after intramedullary nail-
ing or pneumonia after plate fixation of a femoral shaft fractures to 2.2% due to fat
embolism during traction treatment (Dencker 1963). Bilateral femoral fractures indicate
severe systemic and local injuries (Wu and Shih 1992a) and are in polytraumatized pa-
tients associated with a higher mortality rate (Copeland et al. 1998).

Respiratory failure secondary to ARDS, fat embolism (Mller, Rahn, Pfister 1992, Mller
et al. 1993a; Mller et al. 1993b; Mller et al. 1993c; Mller et al. 1994), pulmonary
embolism, or pneumonia develops in 2-3% of patients sustaining a single femoral fracture
without other injuries (ten Duis 1997; Hofmann, Huemer, Salzer 1998), and in 10-75% of
patients with associated injuries depending on the surgical management (Johnson, Cad-
ambi, Seibert 1985; Pape et al. 1993a; Charash, Fabian, Croce 1994; Bosse et al. 1997).
Bone marrow fat and inflammatory mediators are embolized to the lungs following a
femoral shaft fracture due to the movement of fracture fragments (Hauser et al. 1997).
The effect is decreased by fracture fixation (Riska et al. 1977; Johnson, Cadambi, Seibert
1985; Lozman et al. 1986). The mechanical effect of embolic capillary obstruction is
accompanied by the biochemical effect of alveolar-capillary membrane damage by the
mediator-activated neutrophils (Hofmann, Huemer, Salzer 1998; Hauser et al. 1999; Rob-
inson 2001; Giannoudis et al. 2002b) with increased levels of elastase and interleucin-6

55
(Giannoudis et al. 1999; Pape et al. 2000; Pape et al. 2003). Femoral fracture induces site-
specific changes in T-cell immunity (Buzdon et al. 1999). Intramedullary nailing has shown
to result in impairment of immune reactivity (Smith et al. 2000).

The importance of intramedullary reaming in the development of ARDS has been remark-
able (Pape et al. 1995) or negligible (Bosse et al. 1997; Norris et al. 2001). Simultaneous
intramedullary nailing of bilateral femoral shaft fractures has been considered a safe pro-
cedure (Bonnevialle et al. 2000) or questionable (Kerr, Jackson, Atkins 1993; Giannoudis
et al. 1998; Pape et al. 1999a; Giannoudis et al. 2000). The probability for respiratory
failure increases in multiple intramedullary nailing procedures to 33%, in thoracic inju-
ries (Pape et al. 1993a; Pape et al. 1993b; Pape et al. 1995; Bosse et al. 1997) to 79%, and
in both to 95% (Zalavras et al. 2005). Pulmonary complications are related to the severity
of injury and not the timing of surgery (Reynolds et al. 1995; Zalavras et al. 2005).

Fat embolism occurs in 2% to 23% of patients with isolated femoral shaft fractures and
in a substantially higher proportion of victims of polytrauma. Floating knee has a high risk
of fat embolism (13%) (Veith, Winquist, Hansen 1984; Schieldts et al. 1996).

The distribution of thromboembolic complications has varied from 5% (Dencker 1963) to

10% (Suiter and Bianco 1971), and, in elderly subgroups, 25 % (Kootstra 1973). Volk-
manns contracture can also be associated with a femoral shaft fracture (Grosz et al.
1973).

Most of the problems associated with the treatment of femoral shaft fractures are bone
related (Bstman et al. 1989). Unsatisfactory results are due to technical errors or iatro-
genic complications (Bstman et al. 1989). The overall frequency of local complications,
including malunions in femoral shaft fractures treated with internal fixation, has been
24% (Bstman et al. 1989) ranging from 5% (Schwarzkopf, Kirschner, Ahlers 1981;
Winquist, Hansen, Clawson 1984; Leighton et al. 1986) to 19% of cases (Bstman et al.
1989) in intramedullary nailing with an increased (Green, Larson, Moore 1987), decreased
(Leighton et al. 1986), or indifferent (Bstman et al. 1989) complication rate related to
open nailing. Reoperations have been needed in 6% of cases (Bstman et al. 1989). In
plate fixation, the rate of local complications has varied from 10% (Cheng, Tse, Chow
1985; Thompson et al. 1985; Grtner and Rudolph 1987) to 24% (Roberts 1977; Magerl
et al. 1979; Redi and Lscher 1979; Loomer, Meek, DeSommer 1980) and 36% of cases
(Bstman et al. 1989). Reoperations had to be performed in 25% of cases (Bstman et al.
1989).

Local complications have been more frequent among patients 65 years old or older
(39%) probably because of decreased density of bone resulting in mechanical failures of
fixation and because of diminished circulation with subsequently compromised infection
resistance and tissue repair capacity in the lower extremities (Bstman et al. 1989); with
segmental comminuted fractures (38% versus 16% in the non-comminuted fractures
treated with intramedullary nailing, and 67% versus 25% in the non-comminuted frac-
tures treated with a dynamic compression plate). As a result, it has been recommended to
avoid intraoperative additional splitting of the femur (Bstman et al. 1989) or to perform

56
primary cancellous bone grafting of the comminuted medial femoral cortex (Sprenger
1983; Mller et al. 1991) especially with the fixation with a dynamic compression plate
(DCP) (Johnson and Greenberg 1987) and with the presence of concurrent lower ex-
tremity fractures (Bstman et al. 1989).

Adult patients are fortunately devoid of avascular necrosis of the femoral head seen in
adolescents following intramedullary nailing of the femur through the piriformis fossa
due to injury to the branch of the medial circumflex artery (Mileski, Garvin, Crosby
1994).

Acute compartment syndrome (Moore, Garfin, Hargens 1987) is relatively infrequent due
to the capacity of the three compartments of the thigh to accommodate substantially
higher blood volumes compared with those of the lower leg and the forearm. Severe
bleeding into one or more compartments of the thigh is necessary to elevate the compart-
ment pressure above the critical level (Tarlow et al. 1986).

As a traction complication in intramedullary nailing of bilateral femoral fractures delayed

perineal sloughing needing urethroplasty has been reported (Callanan, Choudhry, Smith
1994).

Nerve injuries include the common peroneal nerve (due to compression against the prox-
imal fibula during skeletal traction), pudendal and femoral nerves (due to compression by
unpadded post of the fracture table caused by excessive traction during intramedullary
nailing) (Kruger et al. 1990; Brumback et al. 1992a). The prevalence of the sciatic nerve
injury complication has been 0.4% and for the peroneal nerve 2% (Dencker 1963).

The rate of heterotopic ossification in the abductor region of the hip after reaming and
intramedullary nailing of femoral shaft fractures has either been low (Kntscher 1967;
Winquist, Hansen, Clawson 1984; Wiss et al. 1986; Johnson and Greenberg 1987; Wiss,
Brien, Stetson 1990; Steinberg and Hubbard 1993), around the proximal tip of the nail in
up to 20% of cases of closed nailing (Marks, Paley, Kellam 1988; Miller et al. 1992;
Steinberg and Hubbard 1993), or as high as 68% (Brumback et al. 1990), probably due to
the procedure itself (Marks, Paley, Kellam 1988; Brumback et al. 1990; Steinberg and
Hubbard 1993). Range of motion of the hip has decreased (Coventry and Scanlon 1981)
in 5% of cases (Marks, Paley and Kellam 1988) to 11 % of cases (Brumback et al. 1990).
Kntscher suggested that heterotopic ossification was due to the prominence of the prox-
imal part of the nail, significant hematoma, and some osteogenic factor which is trans-
ferred via the medullary nail over a long distance (Kntscher 1967). Most authors have
agreed that the formation of heterotopic bone depends on local or systemic factors (Chalm-
ers, Gray, Rush 1975). Reported local factors include transformation of local cells to
osteoprogenitor cells (Puzas and Miller 1989); osteogenic reaming (Brumback et al. 1990);
anatomic location (Kewalramani 1977); trauma to the gluteus muscle during reaming
(Burwell 1971; Paley et al. 1986) or during a posterior or a transtrochanteric approach
(Vicar and Coleman 1984); soft-tissue injury or concomitant trauma of a joint (Garland,
Blum, Waters 1980); hematoma formation, foreign bodies, and immobilization. Possible
systemic factors include head injury (Steinberg and Hubbard 1993), spinal injury, multiple

57
trauma, infection, ISS (Baker et al. 1974), or ventilator and intensive care unit days, or
delay to surgery (Steinberg and Hubbard 1973; Marks, Paley, Kellam 1988); male gender
(Steinberg and Hubbard 1973); or diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis, hypertrophic
osteoarthritis, and ankylosing spondylitis (Kewalramani 1977). Otherwise, no correlation
between the degree of heterotopic ossification and the age or gender of patient, injury
severity, presence or absence of closed intracranial injury, level or type of comminution
of fracture, timing of nailing, or type of intramedullary fixation, or proximal prominence
of nail has been reported (Brumback et al. 1990). Absence of reflex-protective mecha-
nisms, presence of spasticity, or muscle injury have been proposed as causative factors
(Bucholz and Brumback 1996). Different classifications of heterotopic ossification have
been based on the distance of ossification on the ilium and the greater trochanter (Brooker
et al. 1973; Marks, Paley, Kellam 1988; Brumback et al. 1990).

The overall prevalence of infection has been 3% and of osteomyelitis 0.4%. The most
common causative organisms for postoperative infection are Staphylococcus aureus,
Staphylococcus epidermidis, and Enterococcus (Bstman et al. 1989). The prevalence of
infection is related to the technique of fracture treatment and has earlier been 6% in
operations of closed fractures (Dencker 1963). The overall infection rate after intramed-
ullary nailing has been 4% (Whittle and Wood 2003), 1.7% to 9%-12% after open in-
tramedullary nail insertion (Burwell 1971; Kovacs, Richard, Miller 1973; Kamdar and
Arden 1974; Warmbrod, Yelton and Weiss 1976; Jenkins, Lewis, Downes 1978; Hansen
and Winquist 1979; Singer and Seligson 1990) and 14% after open non-interlocking in-
tramedullary nailing with additional cerclage wiring (Johnson, Johnston, Parker 1984). In
a total of 1950 femoral shaft fractures treated by open nailing, the deep infection rate
averaged 3.5% of the cases (Chapman 1996). In closed nailing, the infection rate has
been lower (Harper 1985; Leighton et al. 1986; Schatzker 1980; Whittaker et al. 1982),
varying from 0% (Rothwell and Fitzpatrick 1978; Rothwell 1982; Johnson, Johnston,
Parker 1984; Wiss et al. 1986) to 0.5% (Winquist and Hansen 1980) or to 0.8%-0.9%
(King and Rush 1981; Esser, Cloke, Hart 1982; Winquist, Hansen, Clawson 1984) or to 2-
5% (Dencker 1963). In an accumulated experience of 1499 closed nailing procedures of
femoral shaft fractures with different nail types, the infection rate has been 0.4% (Chap-
man 1996). The infection prevalence has been 9% with the traction through the distal part
of femur (Dencker 1963). The rate of infection in plate fixation has varied from 0.7% to
11%, mainly 2-6% (Magerl et al. 1979; Redi and Lscher 1979; Bstman et al. 1989) of
the reported cases (Evans, Pedersen, Lissner 1951; Horwitz 1972; Redi and Lscher
1979; Tarlow et al. 1986; Hanks, Foster, Cardea 1988; Leung et al. 1991; Moed and
Watson 1995). Factors predisposing to infection can be: additional cerclage wiring in
closed nailings of comminuted fractures (Partridge and Evans 1982; Tscherne, Haas,
Krettek 1986; Johnson and Greenberg 1987), and fractures with gross contamination,
exposed bone, and extensive soft-tissue necrosis (Grade IIIB) (Bucholz and Brumback
1996). Winquist and Hansen Grade I, II and IIIA open fractures can be safely nailed with
a low risk of infection (Chapman and Mahoney 1979; Winquist, Hansen, Clawson 1984;
Lhowe and Hansen 1988; Brumback et al. 1989). Osteomyelitis following femoral shaft
nailing has occurred in 1.0-1.5% of cases (Strecker, Suger, Kinzl 1996). The risk of
infection following intramedullary stabilization after external fixation has not been mark-
edly greater than in definitive intramedullary nailing (Winkler et al. 1998): 0-14.3% (Wu

58
and Shih 1991; Hntsch et al. 1993; Nowotarski et al. 2000). In external fixation, pin
track infection has been detected even in 50% of the cases (Green 1982; DeBastiani,
Aldegheri, Renzi Brivio 1984; Habboushe 1984; Broekhuizen 1988).

Technical errors occurred in Denckers study of the treatment of femoral shaft fractures
in 14% of the cases: most usually (in 5.4%) the nail was too short (Dencker 1963). Other
causes for technical errors are the use of too thin nail, impaction, nail perforation through
the proximal or distal fragment or into the knee joint, splitting the femur, and nailing in
diastasis (Dencker 1963).

Failure of plate fixation has occurred in 5% to 10% of the reported cases (Jensen,
Johansen, Morch 1977; Roberts 1977; Magerl et al. 1979; Redi and Lscher 1979;
Sprenger 1983; Riemer et al. 1992). The incidence of mechanical failure of fixation in
intramedullary nailings and plate fixations has been 7.1%, including intraoperative addi-
tional splitting of the femur, osteoporotic bone in elderly patients, intraoperative iatrogenic
fracture of the femoral neck in intramedullary nailing, and unstable nailing causing angu-
lation (Bstman et al. 1989). Technical difficulties can be created by malalignment, ec-
centric reaming, pre-existing deformity of the femur, and previous nailing (Ebraheim and
Paley 1993). Some intramedullary nail types, e.g. Brooker-Wills, have shown more tech-
nical intraoperative complications than others (Ebraheim and Paley 1993; Barrick and
Mulhern 1990; Brumback et al. 1987; Hanks, Foster, Cardea 1988; Webb 1988).

Load-shielding implants, such as plates, are prone to failure more often than load-sharing
implants, like nails (Bstman et al. 1989; Bucholz and Brumback 1996). The rate of
uninfected early loosening of the plate has been 12% in the plated femoral shaft fractures
(Bstman et al. 1989). Plastic deformation (bending) and fatigue failure after intramedul-
lary nailing of the femoral shaft are usually associated with small-diameter nails of 10 mm
or less (Soto-Hall and McCloy 1953; Hunter 1982; Franklin et al. 1988; Laforest et al.
1995; Ingman 2000; Canadian Orthopaedic Trauma Society 2003), with a nail insertion
through a tight, narrow canal; or with loading of the leg before fracture union (Bucholz
and Brumback 1996). Fatigue failure through the midportion of a standard, large-diame-
ter (12 to 15 mm) nail, or a thick-walled, smaller-diameter nail, is rare. Deformation and
breakage is more common at the proximal or distal ends of interlocking nails, and over-
reaming of the medullary canal with using undersized interlocking nails (Bucholz and
Brumback 1996), or nails having a proximal weld between the cylindrical and slotted
portions (Franklin et al. 1998). Fatigue failure, usually at the most proximal of the two
distal locking holes, can occur if fracture healing is delayed or early excessive loading is
permitted in the proximal-third fractures (Bucholz and Brumback 1996). If a fracture is
located within 5 cm of this hole, stresses are generated in the nail above its endurance
limit (Bucholz, Ross, Lawrence 1987). Once fracture healing restores 50% of the normal
stiffness of the distal femur, the stresses are diminished below that of the endurance limit
of the nail. Infraisthmal fractures stabilized with interlocking nailing should be managed
with delayed weightbearing until bridging callus is evident on radiographs (Bucholz and
Brumback 1996). An angulated nail can be managed either by manipulation over the apex
of the angle, by open transection of the nail, or using exchange nailing (Bucholz and
Brumback 1996). Extraction of a bent nail after fracture healing may be impossible (Bu-

59
cholz and Brumback 1996). According to Dencker, bending of the intramedullary nail
occurred in 16% during the first two to four months after intramedullary nailing of
femoral shaft fractures. The nail broke in 2% of treated femoral shaft fractures (Dencker
1963).

The rate of refracture of femoral shaft fractures without relevant retrauma is 1% (Bst-
man et al. 1989), or, in different populations, 2.4% - 12.5% (Hartmann and Brav 1954;
Dencker 1963; Seimon 1964, Richon, Livio, Saegesser 1967, Kootstra 1973). Refracture
can occur during the early phases of callus formation at the time of hardware removal
(Bucholz and Brumback 1996). More than 75% of the refracture cases occur within the
first 12 weeks of cast immobilization of the patient, especially during quadriceps exercis-
es with limited knee motion (Seimon 1964). Premature plate removal (before the mini-
mum of 18 months from the time of application) has caused refractures in 13% (Breed-
erveld, Patka, van Mourik 1985). The generous callus envelope that develops after closed
intramedullary nailing protects the fracture site from refracture after nail removal. Re-
fracture at a different level has been reported with Zickel nails (Ovadia and Chess 1988).
The risk of refracture after static intramedullary nailing is negligible (Brumback et al.
1992b), including a theoretic possibility of the locking screws acting as stress risers and
of the static nail causing stress-shielding (Bucholz and Brumback 1996; Whittle and Wood
2003). A refracture after removal of a femoral plate is a known complication in nearly
10% of cases, especially if supplemental interfragmental lag screws are used for the initial
internal fixation, due to cortical atrophy under the plate and the stress riser effect on the
screw holes (Bstman 1990). According to bone density studies using computed tomog-
raphy, the stress-reducing effect of static nails is small (Brten et al. 1992). Refractures
can be successfully managed by intramedullary nailing (Bstman et al. 1989).

If clinical union of the femoral shaft fracture has not taken place within 24 weeks of the
accident, delayed union is considered to be present (Bstman et al. 1989). The rate of
delayed union has been 1.6% (Bstman et al. 1989) and usually less than 5% (Dencker
1963; Bucholz and Brumback 1996). According to Dencker, delayed union was less
common following traction (5%) or plate fixation (5%) than after intramedullary nailing
or other open procedures as well as cerclage wiring (12-15%) in closed fractures (Dencker
1963). The prevalence of delayed union has been 6% in traction and 18% in intramedul-
lary nailing of open femoral shaft fractures, and 18-21% in the treatment of comminuted
fractures (Dencker 1963). However, delayed union has occurred in up to 30% of cases
with traction possibly from continual distraction of the fracture site (Carr and Wingo
1973). Delayed union with plate fixation has needed bone grafting in 9% of cases (Redi
and Lscher 1979). In the study of the conservative treatment of tibial shaft fractures
severe fracture comminution, smoking, severe compounding of the fracture, female gen-
der, and high age of the patient lengthened the fracture union time (Kyr 1998).

Nonunion can be defined as pain and motion at the fracture site, and radiographic persist-
ence of a radiolucent line without progressive callus formation on three sequential radio-
graphs following fracture fixation (Canadian Orthopaedic Trauma Society 2003). Non-
union signifies a condition which will not proceed to union without active measures
(Bstman et al. 1989), and its reported frequency among femoral shaft fractures in unin-

60
fected cases has been from less than 1% (Winquist, Hansen, Clawson 1984), 1-2%
(Strecker, Suger, Kinzl 1996) to 2.4% (Bstman et al. 1989) or 2-5% depending on the
method used (Dencker 1963). The reported nonunion rate has been 14% with plating
(Redi and Lscher 1979), 0.8% with closed intramedullary nailing (Winquist and Hansen
1980), from 0% (necessitating dynamization in 0.2%) (Brumback et al. 1992b) to 4%
with interlocking intramedullary nailing (Johnson, Johnston, Parker 1984), and 22% with
open noninterlocking nailing and additional cerclage wiring for comminuted fractures
(Johnson, Johnston, Parker 1984), which may constitute the worst of both techniques
(Whittle and Wood 2003). In open fractures, the rate of nonunion has been in 3% when
the fracture was treated with traction and 5% with intramedullary nailing (Dencker 1963).
In an accumulated experience of 1499 closed nailing procedures of femoral shaft frac-
tures with different nail types, the nonunion rate has been 1% (Chapman 1996). In a total
of 1950 femoral shaft fractures treated by open nailing, the nonunion rate averaged 2.1%
(Chapman 1996). The rates of nonunion and hardware failure have been higher in high
proximal third and subtrochanteric fractures (Scheuba 1970). If a pseudarthrosis occurs
or if the nail bends or breaks, it is primarily due to an incorrect size of the nail or other-
wise unstable osteosynthesis (Kntscher 1958). The relative risk of nonunion has been
4.5 times greater without reaming and with the use of relatively small-diameter nails
(Canadian Orthopaedic Trauma Society 2003).

Nonunion can be manifested as spontaneous breaking of the plate 4 to 8 months after

fracture treatment (Bstman et al. 1989). Deficient bone healing may arise from insuffi-
cient blood supply at the fracture site, uncontrolled repetitive stress, or infection (Bucholz
and Brumback 1996). Specific factors that may predispose to delayed union and nonun-
ion include open fractures, extensive operative stripping of soft-tissues around the frac-
ture site in plate fixation, inadequate fracture stabilization in dynamic intramedullary nail-
ing, and diastasis between the fracture fragments in intramedullary nailing (Bstman et al.
1989; Bucholz and Brumback 1996). Treatment options include replating with cancellous
bone grafting, or simple intramedullary nailing after nonunion related to plate fixation
(Bstman et al. 1989); or renailing and cancellous bone grafting in nonunions following
intramedullary nailing (Bstman et al. 1989); or an exchange reamed nailing with a larger
diameter nail (Bucholz and Brumback 1996), performed in nearly 80% without exposing
the nonunion site (Webb, Winquist, Hansen 1986); or, in cases of fracture diastasis after
interlocking nailing, dynamization of a statically locked nail, bone grafting around the
fracture gap, or exchange reamed nailing with a larger-diameter nail (Bucholz and Brum-
back 1996). Slight shortening of the extremity has been possible after dynamization, even
after 6 months of static interlocking (Brumback et al. 1988b). Autogenous bone grafting
(reaming of the canal used to supplement graft taken from the posterior iliac crest or the
greater trochanter) is advisable after excision and open nailing of a synovial pseudarthro-
sis, but unnecessary after nailing in most cases of hypertrophic nonunion (Bucholz and
Brumback 1996). In animal studies, an extensive exchange reaming and nailing has seemed
favourable in nonunions of diaphyseal fractures (Utvag, Grundnes, Reikers 1998c). Solid
bony union rate with these treatment methods have varied from 95% (Webb, Winquist,
Hansen 1986) to 100% (Bstman et al. 1989) within 7 to 18 months of the original
accident and femoral fracture (Bstman et al. 1989).

61
A malunion has been observed in 9.8% of patients with femoral shaft fractures, and 35%
of them might have another local complication as well (Bstman et al. 1989). The inci-
dence of simple malunion without other local complications has been 6.3% (Bstman et
al. 1989). Malunion commonly complicates treatment with traction or plaster immobiliza-
tion. The rare malunion after internal fixation is caused by technical errors, such as
fixation of the shaft in a malalignment (Bucholz and Brumback 1996) producing a simple
type of malunion (Bstman et al. 1989). The rate of malunion has varied from 5% with
closed intramedullary nailing (Winquist, Hansen, Clawson 1984) to 11% of the nailed and
6.9% of the plated femoral shaft fractures (Bstman et al. 1989). Malunion of a femoral
shaft fracture can lead to abnormal gait, limb length discrepancy, and posttraumatic ar-
thritis of the knee (Bucholz and Brumback 1996). Angulatory and longitudinal malunions
have been documented more often (Winquist and Hansen 1978; Winquist and Hansen
1980; Rothwell 1982; Winquist, Hansen, Clawson 1984; Harper 1985; Kempf, Gross,
Beck 1985; Huckstep 1986; Tscherne, Haas, Krettek 1986; Wiss et al. 1986; Hooper and
Lyon 1988; Wiss, Brien, Stetson 1990; Wiss, Brien, Becker 1991; Wiss and Brien 1992;
Bergman et al. 1993) than rotational (Winquist, Hansen, Clawson 1984; Harper 1985;
Wiss et al. 1986; Wiss, Brien and Stetson 1990; Wiss, Brien, Becker 1991; Sharma et al.
1993), which may even be undocumented (Winquist and Hansen 1978; Bergman et al.
1993).

Previously, femoral shortening often followed from conservative treatment (Kootstra

1973), and later, more infrequently, dynamic or simple nailing of an unstable fracture
pattern in oblique or comminuted femoral shaft fractures (Rokkanen et al. 1969; Claw-
son, Smith, Hansen 1971; Gillquist, Liljedahl, Rieger 1971; Rascher et al. 1972; Winquist,
Hansen, Clawson 1984; Chadwick and Hayes 1988). The reported frequency of shorten-
ing has been 4.1% (Bstman et al. 1989). Shortening of up to 1 to 1.5 cm is compatible
with good function, while in 1.3% of the fractures, shortening exceeds 2 cm (Bstman
et al. 1989).

Angular malunion exceeds 15 in only 0.5% of the fractures (Bstman et al. 1989). An
anterior bow is well compensated for by hip and knee motion, and better tolerated than a
posterior bow or a lateral angulation (Bucholz and Brumback 1996). The frequency of
posterior bowing has been 2.6% (Bstman et al. 1989) and valgus angulation 1.8% (Bst-
man et al. 1989).

Torsional malunion usually results from conservative treatment, but can be related to
operative treatment independent of the method used, and also to simple as well as commi-
nuted fractures (Ecke, Neubert, Neeb 1980; Mockwitz 1982; Wolf, Schauwecker, Tittel
1984; Wissing and Spira 1986; Sennerich et al. 1992), or to the presence of additional
ipsilateral injuries complicating identification of rotation (Brten, Terjesen, Rossvoll 1993).
More torsional deformity has been described after intramedullary nailing than after plate
fixation (Svenningsen, Nesse, Finsen 1986). In unlocked (Winquist, Hansen, Clawson
1984; Hooper and Lyon 1988) or dynamically locked nailings, malrotation can occur
several times during the treatment course (Tornetta, Ritz, Kantor 1995) due in unlocked
nails to the pull of the iliopsoas on the proximal fragment, operative malpositioning (Sen-
nerich et al. 1992; Brten, Terjesen, Rossvoll 1993), early postoperative rotation (Win-

62
quist, Hansen, Clawson 1984), inability to control rotation in unstable and proximal frac-
ture patterns (Winquist, Hansen, Clawson 1984), and falling at home afterwards (Win-
quist, Hansen, Clawson 1984). The rate of rotational malunion seems to be extremely low
after locked intramedullary nailing (Wissing and Spira 1984; Kempf, Grosse, Beck 1985;
Wissing and Spira 1986; Johnson and Greenberg 1987; Dugdale, Degnan, Turen 1992;
Wiss, Brien, Stetson 1990; Alho, Strmse, Ekeland 1991; Tornetta, Ritz, Kantor 1995),
the only exception being the fractures that are dynamically inappropriately locked (Brum-
back et al. 1988a). The frequency of malrotation has been 1.8% including plate fixation
and intramedullary nailing (Bstman et al. 1989). Wiss reported rotational malunion from
1% to 7% (Wiss et al. 1986; Wiss, Brien, Becker 1991). The overall incidence of malro-
tation exceeding 10 has been 3.6% (King and Rush 1981; Rothwell 1982; Hogh and
Mikkelsen 1983; Winquist, Hansen, Clawson 1984; Harper 1985; Johnson, Cadambi,
Seibert 1985; Kempf, Grosse, Beck 1985; Thoresen et al. 1985; Bone and Bucholz 1986;
Klemm and Brner 1986; Wiss et al. 1986; Brumback et al. 1988a and. 1988b, Christie et
al. 1988, Graham and Mackie 1988; Hanks, Foster, Cardea 1988; Hooper and Lyon 1988;
Murphy et al. 1988).

Malrotation of the femur is accommodated to during gait (Tornetta, Ritz, Kantor 1995).
An anteversion difference of 15 or more after femoral fracture can be regarded as a true
torsional deformity (Brten, Terjesen, Rossvoll 1992), although torsional deformity of
less than 20 will not usually be a handicap (Sudmann 1973; Sennerich et al. 1992, Brten,
Terjesen, Rossvoll 1993). Side differences exceeding 30 will cause serious problems
(Brten, Terjesen, Rossvoll 1993). Depending on the diagnostic method, which can be
clinical (Kempf, Grosse, Beck 1985; Thoresen et al 1985; Wiss et al 1986; Johnson and
Greenberg 1987; Alho, Strmse, Ekeland 1991), biplanar method on radiographs (Dun-
lap et al. 1953; Rippstein 1955; Knig 1972; Sudmann 1973), ultrasound (Terjesen, Anda,
Svenningsen 1990; Brten, Terjesen, Rossvoll 1993), or computed tomography measure-
ments (Weiner et al. 1978; Grote, Elgeti, Saure 1980; Wissing and Spira 1986; Murphy et
al 1987; Hiseth, Reikers, Fnstelein 1989, Lausten, Jrgensen, Boesen 1989; Sennerich
et al. 1992), the frequency of rotational malunion of over 10 has varied from 7% (Wiss
et al. 1986) to 30% (Wolf, Schauwecker, Tittel 1984) or 40% (Sennerich et al. 1992;
Brten, Terjesen, Rossvoll 1993), and of over 20 from 16% (Sennerich et al. 1992) to
21% (Sudmann 1973). Studied with computed tomography, the average malrotation of
the fractured femur has been 16 (4-61) and the median malrotation 14 in patients fully
ambulatory for at least 6 months (Tornetta, Ritz, Kantor 1995). Furthermore, it has been
observed that no significant relationship exists between a true torsional deformity (> 15)
and age or gender of the patient, fracture type or comminution, nail dimension, fracture
level or length of follow-up (Brten, Terjesen, Rossvoll 1993). Acute postoperative loss
of rotational alignment has been reported (Winquist, Hansen, Clawson 1984; Harper 1985).
A relatively high incidence has been noted with the use of unlocked intramedullary nails to
stabilize comminuted fractures (Hooper and Lyon 1988). The determination of rotation of
the femur during intramedullary nailing procedures can be difficult, particularly when the
comminuted (Winquist-Hansen III or IV ) fracture pattern does not lend itself to interdig-
itation (Tornetta, Ritz, Kantor 1995). Postoperatively, better tolerated external rotational
deformity can follow intramedullary fixation with small-diameter, unlocked nails (Bu-
cholz and Brumback 1996), and on average has been more common than internal malro-

63
tation (Mockwitz 1982; Wolf, Schauwecker, Tittel 1984), although also opposite results
have been published (Sennerich et al. 1992). Once the amount of malrotation is known,
simple derotation can be performed with unlocked nails (Harper 1985; Winquist, Hansen,
Clawson 1984), whereas statically locked nails (Brumback et al. 1988b) require removal
and reinsertion of the distal locking screws (Thoresen et al. 1985). After bony union, the
need for corrective osteotomy must be estimated early (Winquist, Hansen, Clawson 1984),
particularly in patients with associated head injuries who have been shown to heal more
rapidly and with more exuberant callus (Perkins and Skirving 1987).

Traction of femoral shaft fractures has resulted in knee stiffness in up to 53% of cases
(Dencker 1963; Buxton 1981; Schatzker 1996). Residual knee motion after cast bracing
has been at follow-up of less than 100 (Mooney et al. 1970; Hardy 1983; McIvor et
al.1984; Mooney and Claudi 1984). According to literature, plate fixation of femoral shaft
fractures has resulted in 20%-30% of patients a major residual loss of knee motion,
generally attributed to excessive scarring of the quadriceps muscle (Thompson et al.
1985; OBeirne et al. 1986). In external fixation, loss of knee joint motion has been due to
tethering of the quadriceps muscle and related to the severity of the injuries (Jackson,
Jacobs, Neff 1978; DeBastiani, Aldegheri, Renzi Brivio 1984).

Other complications with traction of femoral shaft fractures have included prolonged
hospitalization, decubitus ulcers, osteoporosis, and muscle wasting (Dencker 1963; Geist
and Laros 1979; Moulton, Agunwa, Hopkins 1981; Schatzker 1996).

64
3. AIMS OF THE PRESENT STUDY

The study aims at answering the following questions:

1. What are the age- and gender-specific incidence rates and morphologic fracture
characteristics related to femoral shaft fractures of different etiology including trau-
matic high energy and low energy injuries, and displaced fatigue fractures in adults?
(I, II, III)

2. What are the predisposing factors to femoral shaft fractures caused by low energy
injury in adults? What is the nature of the actual cause of the problem especially in
association with the treatment of femoral shaft fractures due to low energy injury in
adults? (II)

3. What kind of symptomatology is related to displaced femoral shaft fractures in mil-

itary conscripts? What is the clinical course of treatment of displaced fatigue frac-
tures of the femoral shaft in military conscripts? (III)

4. Which preventive methods against femoral shaft fractures of different etiology should
be focused on? (I, II, III)

5. What are the factors predisposing to and the exact clinical course of patients seen
with failed femoral shaft fracture union after initial treatment with an intramedullary
nail in adults? What is the effectiveness of different surgical options in the treatment
of failed union of intramedullary nailed femoral shaft fractures in adults and how
should they be assessed? (IV)

65
4. PATIENTS AND METHODS

The clinical studies were performed with the permission of the Ethics Committee of the
Central Hospital of Central Finland (I, II), the Defence Staff of the Finnish Defence
Forces (III), and the Ethics Committee of the Department of Orthopaedics and Trauma-
tology, Helsinki University Central Hospital (IV).

4.1. Definitions used in the study (I, II, III, IV)

The femoral diaphysis was defined as the portion of the bone located between a point 5
cm distal to the lesser trochanter and a point 8 cm proximal to the adductor tubercle
(Bstman et al. 1989) in all studies (I, II, III, IV). Skeletal maturity of the patients was
judged to be present in cases of closed (mature) growth plates of the femur on the
radiographs taken at the time of fracture onset (I, II, III, IV).

An injury was considered a high energy trauma if it involved a motor vehicle accident or
a fall from a height of three meters or more (I, II, IV), a severe sports injury or a violent
crush (I), and a low energy trauma if the fracture resulted from slipping or stumbling at
ground level or falling from a height of less than one meter (I, II, IV). Bone stress injuries
included fatigue fractures, which occur after abnormal, repetitive stress to normal bone
with normal elastic resistance, and insufficiency fractures, which result when normal
stress is exerted on abnormal bone with deficient elastic resistance (Pentecost et al. 1964;
Markey 1987). A fatigue fracture was considered if a history of localized pain of insidious
onset, worsened with progressive activity and relieved by rest (Worthen and Yanklowitz
1978; Greaney et al. 1983; Markey 1987; Jones et al. 1989; Hershman and Mailly 1990;
Knapp and Garrett 1997; Shaffer 2001), was related to the fracture. In healthy young
adults, the following activities during the fracture onset were considered indicative of a
fatigue fracture: (1) ordinary physical activity such as walking, running, or bending the
knee or the hip, (2) straining or struggling, (3) slipping and stumbling at ground level, or
(4) a fall from a height of less than one meter (III).

Fractures of the femoral diaphysis were classified in terms of their site, configuration,
degree of comminution, and soft-tissue injury (I, II, III, IV). The exact site of the center
of the main fracture line was localized into proximal, middle, or distal thirds of the femo-
ral diaphysis. For true segmental fractures extending over more than 1/3 of the diaphysis,
the site was determined according to the most proximal fracture line. The fracture pattern
was defined according to classifications based on fracture biomechanics: spiral fracture
due to torsion load, transverse fracture due to bending load, and oblique fracture due to
axial compression with bending and torsion (Alms 1961; Gozna 1982; Bucholz and Jones
1991); or more biomechanically specified with an additional obliquetransverse fracture
type with a nonfractured or fractured butterfly fragment due to axial compression and
bending (Alms 1961; Gozna 1982). Fracture comminution was determined according to
the original classification by Winquist and Hansen in the low energy study (II): a segmen-
tal fracture (double fracture of the femoral shaft), a Grade I fracture (fracture with a
small fragment 25% or less of the width of the femoral shaft), a Grade II fracture (frac-

66
ture with a fragment 25% to 50% of the width of the femoral shaft), a Grade III fracture
(fracture with a fragment over 50% of the width of the femoral shaft), and a Grade IV
fracture (fracture with circumferential comminution over a segment of bone) (Winquist
and Hansen 1980; Winquist, Hansen, Clawson 1984; Bucholz and Jones 1991; Bucholz
and Brumback 1996). For the epidemiologic study (I) and the studies III and IV, more
specific classification (Johnson, Johnston, Parker 1984; Johnson and Greenberg 1987)
with additional Grade 0 presenting a noncomminuted fracture was used. Fracture mor-
phology was classified according to the AO (Arbeitsgemeinschaft fr Osteosynthesefra-
gen), and the Association for the Study of Internal Fixation (Mller et al. 1990), and the
Orthopaedic Trauma Association (Orthopaedic Trauma Association 1996) into three main
types (simple, wedge and complex) with three main groups (spiral, oblique and trans-
verse for simple fractures; spiral, bending or fragmented wedge for wedge fractures; and
spiral, segmental, and irregular for complex fractures); and three subgroups for each
group based on to the fracture location with additional two to five ramifications in the
complex type of fractures. The fracture angle was estimated between a line perpendicu-
lar to the long axis of the femur and the main fracture line. Fractures with an angle of less
than 30 degrees were considered transverse (Mller et al. 1990) (I, II, III, IV).

Concerning the displaced fatigue fractures of the femoral shaft (III), the morphologic
fracture classifications were compared with the gradings previously presented in the
literature (Provost and Morris 1969; Hallel, Amit and Segal 1976).

Concerning soft-tissue injuries, closed fractures were defined as fractures without skin
wound, and graded by the classification of Tscherne and Oestern: Grade C0 = none or
negligible soft-tissue damage because of indirect violence, CI = superficial abrasion caused
by a fragment from within, CII = deep, skin or muscle contusion from direct trauma
including impending compartment syndrome, CIII = extensively contused skin and pos-
sible severe muscle damage (Tscherne and Oestern 1982; Oestern and Tscherne 1984)
(I, II, III, IV). Open fractures (i.e. fractures with a soft-tissue damage) were classified
by the grading of Gustilo et al. (Gustilo, Mendoza, Williams 1984; Gustilo, Merkow,
Templeman 1990): Grade I: clean puncture wound 1 cm or less; Grade II: laceration less
than 5 cm without contamination or extensive soft-tissue flaps, loss, avulsion, or crush;
Grade III: extensive soft-tissue damage with contamination or crush including Grade
IIIA: an adequate soft-tissue coverage of bone; Grade IIIB:extensive soft-tissue loss with
periosteal stripping and bone exposure; and Grade IIIC: major arterial injury present de-
manding vascular repair (I, IV).

Significant concomitant injuries were categorized as bilateral femoral shaft fracture, oth-
er diaphyseal long bone fracture, cranio-facio-cerebral injury, thoraco-abdominal injury,
spinal injury, or pelvic injury (I, IV).

Complications were judged to be early or late, and general or local. Solid union was
defined as painlessness on weightbearing, with mature bone crossing the fracture site on
both anteroposterior and lateral radiographs (Bstman et al. 1989). Delayed union was
considered to be present if bony union of the fracture had not occurred within 24 weeks
of the injury (Bstman et al. 1989) (III). Nonunion was regarded as a condition of a

67
fracture that on three consecutive radiographs, taken at one month intervals, did not
show any progression of solid healing, and would obviously not unite without active
measures (Bstman et al. 1989) (III, IV). This definition included patients with frank
nonunion, as well as those with delayed union in whom operative treatment was neces-
sary in the study IV. Malunion was defined to exist unless varus or valgus angulation was
less than 7, anterior or posterior bowing less than 10, shortening less than 15 mm, and
rotational malposition not more than 10 (Bstman et al. 1989) (II, III).

In the study of displaced femoral shaft fatigue fractures (III), the body mass index (BMI)
at the time of the fracture onset was calculated as body weight in kilograms divided by
body height in meters squared (kg/m2). For an adult male, younger than 30 years, a BMI
of 18.5-24.9 kg/m was considered normal (WHO 1995b). For comparison, the average
height of a 19-year-old Finnish conscript was 178.1 cm in 1978 (Dahlstrm 1981).

4.2. Patient data (I, II, III, IV)

The present study comprises four clinical series. The number of patients was altogether
480 with 491 femoral shaft fractures. Of the total number, 236 patients with 246 femoral
shaft fractures were more precisely analyzed.

STUDY I
For the epidemiological study (I), during a 10-year period from January 1, 1985 to De-
cember 31, 1994, a total of 201 consecutive fresh fractures of the femoral diaphysis
were analyzed in 192 skeletally mature patients admitted to two hospitals (Central Hospi-
tal of Central Finland, Jyvskyl, and Jokilaakso Hospital, Jms) providing surgical care
for the population of the province of Central Finland. The median age of the patients,
including 70 women (36%) and 122 men (64%), was 27 years (range, 15-92 years). The
median age for women was 50 years (range, 15-92 years), and for men 23 years (range,
15-75 years). The mean population at risk during the 10-year period consisted of the 202
592 residents 15 years of age or older of a catchment area that is a semiurban, semirural
county. During the observation period, 50% of this population lived in towns and cities,
whereas the corresponding figure in the whole country was 62% (Statistical Yearbook of
Finland 1994).

STUDY II
In the study concerning femoral shaft fractures caused by low energy injury (II), among
the femoral shaft fractures in skeletally mature patients observed during a 10-year period,
from January 1, 1985 to December 31, 1994, at the Central Hospital of Central Finland,
Jyvskyl, and Jokilaakso Hospital, Jms, the diaphyseal fractures caused by low ener-
gy injuries were further analyzed. The median age of the 50 patients with 50 femoral shaft
fractures at the time of the injury was 71 years, 79 years (range, 17-92 years) for 32
women (64%) and 60 years (range, 17-75 years) for 18 men (36%).

68
STUDY III
In the study of femoral shaft fatigue fractures (III), all displaced fatigue fractures of the
femoral shaft treated during a 20-year period, from January 1, 1980 to December 31,
1999, at the Central Military Hospital of Finland were analyzed. The hospital provides the
main surgical services for the Finnish Defence Forces. The mean population at risk per
year during the 20-year period consisted of 33 000 conscripts, 18 to 29 years of age,
completing their military service (Public Information Division of the Defence Staff 2004).
Among all fatigue fractures treated at the Central Military Hospital during the 20-year
period, there were 10 displaced diaphyseal femoral fractures in 10 previously healthy
male conscripts with a median age of 19 years (range, 18-20 years).

STUDY IV
In the study examining nonunion of a femoral shaft fracture after intramedullary nailing
(IV), the records of 278 patients aged 15 years or older, with 280 fresh femoral shaft
fractures treated by intramedullary nailing at the Helsinki University Central Hospital (De-
partment of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Tl Hospital) during a 7-year period,
from April 1, 1989 to March 31, 1996, were retrospectively reviewed to identify a sub-
group of patients with failed union. The median age of the 34 patients with 35 fractures at
the time of the injury was 31 years (range, 15 to 72 years), 34 years (range, 15-72 years)
for 17 women (50%) and 30 years (range, 20-54 years) for 17 men (50%).

4.3. Study arrangement (I, II, III, IV)

For the epidemiologic (I) and the low energy related fracture study (II), annual census
data for the population of the province of Central Finland, selected by age and gender,
was obtained from the official statistics of the country (Statistical Yearbook of Finland
1994). Nationwide data on the need for hospital stay owing to a femoral shaft fracture
were retrieved for the corresponding 10-year period from the National Hospital Dis-
charge Register, kept by the National Research and Development Center for Welfare and
Health and covering all hospitals in Finland (I).

In all studies (I, II, III, IV), a computer search was used to identify from the hospital
discharge register of the concerned hospital all patients with a fresh femoral shaft frac-
ture registered according to the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and
Related Health Problems, version ICD-8 from 1969 to 1986 (I, II, III), version 1CD-9
from 1987 to 1994 (I, II, III, IV), and version ICD-10 from 1995 on (WHO 1995a) (I, II,
III, IV). For the study on failed union after intramedullary nailing, fractures treated with
intramedullary nailing were retrieved from the database of surgical operations of the hos-
pital (IV). The original, complete medical records, including radiographs of each patient
(I, II, III), and of each patient of the subgroup (IV), were retrieved and reviewed.

Fractures within bone sections affected by metastatic or primary malignancy, local bone
disease, or areas weakened by prior surgery were categorized as pathologic, and were
not included in the morphologic analysis of the study (I, II, III, IV). Periprosthetic frac-
tures were excluded (II). Traumatic fractures attributable to generalized osteopenia were

69
not considered pathologic in this context. Five patients with five pathologic femoral shaft
fractures, and 39 patients with periprosthetic fractures after total hip or knee arthroplasty
were excluded from the morphologic analysis of the epidemiologic study (I).

For the study of displaced fatigue fractures, patients with a history of more severe trau-
ma were not included (III). The rest of the fractures were judged by previous symptoms
and by possible signs of a periosteal reaction on radiographs (III). The injury season was
recorded for the epidemiologic study (I). The injury mechanism, any possible concomintant
injury, as well as the patients previous health condition, including continuous medication,
cigarette smoking, sports participation, possible previous injuries, fractures, or opera-
tions, were registered (II, III, IV). Military training level and prior pain, or other symp-
toms of the lower extremity after the beginning of the service, were recorded and evalu-
ated for the study of displaced fatigue fractures (III).

Skeletal maturity, fracture morphology, and bony union of the fractures were judged on
the basis of radiographs by two reviewers (I, II, III, IV). Fractures were classified in
terms of their configuration, site, degree of comminution, and soft-tissue injury (I, II, III,
IV). In the studies II, III, and IV, the time to bony union of the fractures was judged
clinically and radiographically. All general and local intraoperative and postoperative com-
plications, as well as their consequences, were recorded (II).

4.4. Fracture management (II, III, IV)

The clinical course of the fracture treatments, with any possible intraoperative or postop-
erative complications, and the ultimate results of the treatments were recorded (II, III,
IV). Although the fracture treatment policies varied from time to time, the main primary
treatment method was intramedullary nailing.

STUDY II
In the study concerning femoral shaft fractures caused by low energy injuries (II), 47
fractures were treated operatively. Three patients were managed nonoperatively: two
patients using plaster cast and one with skeletal traction. The reasons for refraining from
operative procedures for these three patients were 1) tetraplegia caused by poliomyelitis,
2) numerous extremity deformities resulting from rheumatoid arthritis, and 3) severe
heart disease. The method of internal fixation was intramedullary nailing for 35 fractures,
plate fixation for 9 fractures, and DCS fixation for 3 fractures. The intramedullary nail
types used were Kntscher nail for 10 fractures, Grosse-Kempf interlocking nail for 21
fractures (since 1987), Vari-Wall interlocking nail for 2 fractures (since 1994), and Ender
nailing for 2 fractures. Of the 23 interlocked nailing procedures, 17 were performed by
static interlocking and 6 by dynamic interlocking. Open reduction and additional cerclage
wiring were performed with two intramedullary nailings when the Kntscher nail was
used. The perioperative routine did not include prophylactic administration of antibiotics.

The mean duration of the hospital stay was 16 days (range, 2-87 days). After discharge
from the hospital, the patients visited the outpatient department at 6-week intervals until
the fracture was clinically and radiographically judged to be united.

70
STUDY III
In the study of displaced fatigue fractures of the femoral shaft (III), all fractures were
operated on within 48 hours of the diagnosis. At surgery, all patients were given a prophy-
lactic antibiotic, and low-molecular heparin was used as antithrombosis medication. Five
fractures were treated with intramedullary nailing: three with a Kntscher nail, one with a
static Grosse-Kempf interlocking nail, and one with a dynamic AO interlocking nail. Four
fractures were treated with a DCP, one of them with additional bone grafting. One frac-
ture was managed with a DCS. The mean duration of the hospital stay was 12 days
(range, 6-20 days). After discharge from hospital, the conscripts visited the outpatient
clinic at 2- to 4-week intervals until fracture union. The aftertreatment comprised partial
weightbearing on crutches, active knee mobilization, and quadriceps muscle exercises.

STUDY IV
In the study of nonunion after intramedullary nailing of femoral shaft fractures (IV), the
general policy of the department was to treat femoral shaft fractures operatively within
24 hours of admission. The initial operations were performed by the surgeon-on-duty,
usually an orthopaedic resident. Intramedullary nailing with reaming was the rule in the
treatment of closed fractures and open Gustilo Type I, II and IIIA fractures. In the whole
series of 280 fractures, three different types of intramedullary nails were used. A conven-
tional Kntscher nail was used in 76 principally transverse or short oblique fractures at
the isthmus that had a Winquist and Hansen Grade I or Grade II comminution. Interlock-
ing nailing was used in 204 cases. During the early years of the study, a Klemm-Schell-
mann nail was used as an interlocking nail (93 cases). From 1991 on, the AO Universal
nail largely replaced the Klemm-Schellmann nail and was used in 111 fractures. The AO
nail provided two holes available for proximal locking: a round hole for static locking and
a slotted hole for dynamic locking. The nail type used in the primary intramedullary
nailing procedure among the 34 patients with 35 fractures with failed union was a Knt-
scher nail in seven, a Klemm-Schellmann nail in eleven, and an AO Universal nail in
seventeen cases. The mean duration for hospital stay was 18 days (range, 6-62 days).

Surgical intervention was considered at the earliest four months after the initial intramed-
ullary nailing if there was no radiographic progression of consolidation at four months
and significant local pain on weightbearing persisted.

In the treatment of ununited fractures, nonoperative management of nonunion, such as

electrical stimulation or pulsed ultrasound, was not used. The operative treatment meth-
ods used for ununited fractures included dynamization of static interlocking with or with-
out autogenous extracortical bone grafting, autogenous bone grafting alone with the nail
in situ, and exchange intramedullary nailing with or without autogenous bone grafting.
Autogenous bone grafting was performed by inserting onlay corticocancellous bone chips
from the iliac crest through a lateral wound onto the fracture site. Reamed exchange
nailing was performed by using a larger-diameter nail. In eight primary renailing proce-
dures, a Kntscher nail was used in two, a Klemm-Schellmann nail in one, and an AO
Universal nail in five cases. The choice between the different treatment modalities and nail
types depended on the fracture and on the disturbed union pattern, as well as the personal

71
preferences of the surgeon-in-charge. After discharge from hospital, the patients visited
the outpatient department first at six-week and later at twelve-week intervals until the
fracture was united. (IV)

4.5. Follow-up time (II, III, IV)

STUDY II
Forty patients could be followed up until bony union of the fracture was achieved. The
mean follow-up time was 14 months: 25 months for patients younger than 60 years and
10 months for patients 60 years or older. Four elderly patients died within 2 months after
sustaining the fracture. Three elderly patients had a general condition too poor to allow
follow-up visits. For three patients, further information regarding fracture healing was
unavailable due to a remote place of residence. (II)

STUDY III
All 10 of the former conscripts arrived to a physical and radiographic examination for
follow-up. The mean follow-up time was 7 years (range, 2 to 16 years). (III)

STUDY IV
The mean length of the follow-up time of the 34 patients with disturbed union process of
the fracture was 33 months on average (range, 12 to 70 months).

4.6. Statistical methods (I, II, III)

For statistical analysis, the chi square test (I, II), Fishers exact test (I), and Kruskal-
Wallis test (I) were used, with a p value of less than 0.05 considered significant. The 95%
confidence intervals were calculated with a statistical computer program, and interpreted
as the range of values that has a 95% chance of including the true values (I, II) (Dawson-
Saunders and Trapp 1990; Dicker 2002). The age- and gender-specific incidence rates of
diaphyseal femoral fractures were calculated by dividing the number of cases in each age
group by the number of the corresponding average age- and gender-specific population
during the period concerned (I, II, III).

72
5. RESULTS

5.1. Demography of femoral shaft fractures in adults (I, II, III)

STUDY I
Among an average population of 202 592 skeletally mature residents, the all-fracture
incidence was 12.1 per 100 000 person-years. The incidence of 201 traumatic fractures
was 9.9 per 100 000 person-years (95% confidence interval 9 to 11). The incidence in
male patients from 15 to 24 years of age clearly exceeded that of any other male age
group (Figure 2.). Only among individuals 75 years of age or older was the age-specific
rate for women notably higher.

The seasonal distribution showed that the incidence was highest in August with 30 pa-
tients (frequency 0.16, 95% confidence interval 0.11 to 0.22, expected frequency based
on even distribution 0.08) (Figure 3.). This was attributable to the high energy injuries (25
of 30 fractures) (Figure 4.). Sixty-eight patients sustained their femoral shaft fracture in
the third quadrant of the year (July-September) (frequency 0.35, 95% confidence inter-
val 0.29 to 0.43, expected frequency 0.25) (Figure 3.).

The number of inpatient hospitalization periods required to treat the patients was 23 per
100 000 person-years. The corresponding figure for the whole country was 22 per 100
000 person years.

Age Group (Years)

Figure 2. Age- and gender-specific fracture incidences in fractures caused by high energy
and low energy injuries. Modified from Salminen ST, Pihlajamki HK, Avikainen VJ, Bstman
OM: Population based epidemiologic and morphologic study of femoral shaft fractures. Clin
Orthop Relat Res 372:241-249, 2000; with permission from Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins. (I)

73
Figure 3. Seasonal distribution of the occurrence of traumatic femoral shaft fractures in both
genders in adults. Modified from Salminen ST, Pihlajamki HK, Avikainen VJ, Bstman OM:
Population based epidemiologic and morphologic study of femoral shaft fractures. Clin Orthop
Relat Res 372:241-249, 2000; with permission from Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins. (I)

Figure 4. Seasonal distribution of traumatic femoral shaft fractures caused by low energy or
high energy injuries in adults. Modified from Salminen ST, Pihlajamki HK, Avikainen VJ, Bstman
OM: Population based epidemiologic and morphologic study of femoral shaft fractures. Clin
Orthop Relat Res 372:241-249, 2000; with permission from Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins. (I)

74
STUDY II
Of the 50 patients, 13 were younger than 60 years and 37 were 60 years or older. The
total incidence of femoral shaft fractures due to low energy injury was 2.5 per 100 000
person-years. For people aged 15 to 60 years, including nine men and four women, it was
0.8 per 100 000 person-years, and for people aged 60 years or older, including nine men
and 28 women, it was 7.8 per 100 000 person-years. The 95% confidence interval for the
fractures was 0.19 to 0.31.

STUDY III
The incidence of displaced fatigue fractures among conscripts during the 20-year period
was 1.5 per 100 000 person-years in military service. There were no female conscripts
sustaining displaced femoral shaft fatigue fractures.

The median time from the beginning of the military training to the onset of the fracture
was 53 days (range, 15-178 days). All but one conscript experienced preceding pain
mainly in the distal thigh on weightbearing for 1 to 6 weeks. In five men with a subse-
quent fracture in the middle or the distal third of the femoral diaphysis, the pain radiated
to the knee. The first sensations of the pain were related to a combat exercise in five
patients, and marching in five patients. Only two conscripts had sought medical attention
because of the preceding pain symptoms, and had been exempted from heavy military
service for 2 to 6 days, but radiographs had not been taken before the fracture occurred.

5.2. Injury mechanism (I, II, IV) or activity at the fracture onset (III)

STUDY I
High energy trauma caused 151 (75%) fractures, 131 (87%) of which occurred in road
traffic accidents (Table 12.). In 47 (36%) of these cases, the automobile driver was
injured. There were no gunshot injuries. In the low energy group (50 cases), there were
37 patients 60 years of age or older. There was no increasing trend in the number of high
energy or low energy fractures during the 10-year period.

75
 Table 12. Injury mechanisms and occurrence of significant concomitant injuries in 192 patients with 201 traumatic femoral shaft fractures. Modified
from Salminen ST, Pihlajamki HK, Avikainen VJ, Bstman OM: Population based epidemiologic and morphologic study of femoral shaft fractures. Clin
Orthop Relat Res 372:241-249, 2000; with permission from Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins. (I)

Injury Environment Number Percentage Median Significant Concomitant Injuries

(192) (%) Age
(Years,
Range)
Bilateral None Cranio- Thoraco- Spinal Pelvic Other
Femoral Facio Abdominal Injury Injury Diaphyseal
Shaft Cerebral Injury Long Bone
Fracture Injury Fracture
Car or Truck
Driver 47 24 24 (18-64) 4 22 11 8 1 6 12
Front seat passenger 12 6 24 (16-57) 0 6 2 3 0 1 2
Rear seat passenger 5 3 25 (16-37) 0 3 0 0 0 1 2
Other motor vehicle

76
Motorcycle 22 12 17 (15-35) 0 16 0 0 0 0 6
Motorbike 14 7 17 (15-52) 1 8 0 1 0 1 5
Snowmobile 2 1 39 (37-40) 0 1 0 1 1 1 0
Bicyclist 8 4 26 (15-59) 0 7 0 0 1 1 0
Pedestrian 14 7 29 (16-77) 2 7 3 4 0 2 5
Free fall
Height 8 4 40 (22-81) 1 5 2 1 0 1 2
Low ( 1 m) 8 4 76 (21-90) 0 8 0 0 0 0 0
Slipping or stumbling 38 20 71 (17-91) 0 38 0 0 0 0 0
Miscellaneous low 4 2 64 (30-92) 0 4 0 0 0 0 0
energy
Crush 3 2 36 (21-61) 1 3 0 0 0 0 0
Sports 7 4 20 (15-41) 0 4 0 3 0 0 0
All 192 100 27 (15-92) 9 132 18 21 3 14 34
STUDY II
In 38 patients, the mechanism of injury was falling at ground level. Eight patients fell
from a height of less than one meter. Four fractures occurred without any actual trauma
(being turned in bed, moving from wheelchair to bed, lifting one leg over another, and one
manifested itself as pain for one week). Thirty-two patients (64%) had at least one gen-
eral or local factor (Table 13.) that predisposed them to a fracture by weakening the
mechanical strength of the femur. For 18 patients (36%), 8 of whom were under 60
years and 10 of whom were over 60 years, no such factors could be identified when high
age alone was not considered.

Table 13. Summary of individual factors predisposing to a femoral shaft fracture caused by
low energy injury in 50 patients of different age. Modified from Salminen S, Pihlajamki H,
Avikainen V, Kyr A, Bstman O: Specific features associated with femoral shaft fractures
caused by low energy trauma. J Trauma 43:117-122, 1997; with permission from Lippincott,
Williams & Wilkins. (II)

Age Group_________
Predisposing Factor
< 60 years 60 years
(Number) (Number)

Factors predisposing to generalized osteopenia (other than high age)

- Diabetes mellitus 0 8
- Chronic alcohol abuse 2 5
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with cortisone medication 0 4
- Rheumatoid arthritis with cortisone medication 1 0
Factors predisposing to localized disuse osteopenia
- Previous major fracture of the same extremity 2 6
- Neuromuscular disorders 3 3
- Severe osteoarthritis of the ipsilateral hip or knee 0 4
- Previous total replacement of the ipsilateral hip or knee 1 2
- Previous ipsilateral knee ligament rupture 1 0
Patients with one predisposing factor 1 16
Patients with two or more predisposing factors 4 11
Patients without predisposing factors 8 10

STUDY III
The exact activity during the onset of the fracture was slipping at ground level (two
patients), walking or stumbling down stairs (two patients), bending the knee (two pa-
tients), stumbling while running, rushing from a dugout, hurrying to carry mines, and
starting to ride a bike (Table 14.).

STUDY IV
Thirty-one fractures were caused by high energy trauma, twenty-eight of which involved
a road traffic accident. In four patients with low energy trauma, the initial injury mecha-
nism was slipping or stumbling at ground level.

77
 Table 14. Characteristics of Femoral Shaft Fatigue Fractures in 10 Conscripts. Modified from Salminen ST, Pihlajamki HK, Visuri TI, Bstman OM:
Displaced fatigue fractures of the femoral shaft. Clin Orthop Relat Res 409:250-259, 2003; with permission from Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins. (III)

Patient Age BMI Prior Fracture Activity Fracture Site Additional Fracture Reoperations IAC Fracture Bony
(Years) (kg/m2) Pain Onset during (R/L, Third) Complications Treatment Union
(Weeks) (Months) Fracture (Months)
Onset Angle AO W-H

1 20 18.3 thigh and 1.5 Carried R, no DCP and no yes

knee, 2 mines Oblique, A2.3 0 5
distal bone
50
grafting
2 20 23.7 knee, 2 0.5 Walked L, Shortening Kntscher no no Oblique, 60 C3.1.1 II 4
stairs middle of 1.6 cm
IM-nail
3 20 21.3 thigh, 3 6* Stumbled R. Suspected fat Kntscher no yes Oblique- A2.2 0 3.5
while running middle embolism transverse
IM-nail 35, 1

4 19 22.5 knee, 6 3 Began to R, Long distal DCP Exchange of yes Oblique- A2.3 0 3
ride a bicycle distal screw the screws transverse
65, 2
5 18 20.2 no** 3 Slipped at L, no G-K IM-nail no no Spiral, B1.2 I 3
ground level middle 60
(static)

78
6 19 20.8 knee, 1 2 Knee banding L, Superficial wound DCP no yes Oblique, A2.3 0 5
in the varus distal infection 45

7 19 21.6 distal 3 Slipped at L, no DCP no yes Spiral, A1.3 I 3

thigh, 4 ground level 55
distal

8 19 21.6 thigh, 3 1.5 Ran from L, Axial instability; Kntscher Renailing with AO yes Oblique, A2.1 0 4
dugout proximal comminution at 2nd IM-nail (static)s 50
IM-nail
operation
9 19 20.1 distal 1.5 Stumbled R, no AO IM-nail no no Oblique- B2.3 I 3.5
thigh, 1 down stairs distal transverse
(dynamic) 30
10 19 32.2 knee, 1 0.5 Bended R, no DCS no no Oblique- A3.3 0 3
knees transverse.
distal 70, 4

i i ddi i l i i i i d i h l f hi d hi d f h f l h f i d ll f
5.3. Concomitant injuries (I, II, III, IV)

STUDY I
Among the 60 (31%) patients who sustained significant concomitant injuries (Table 12.),
34 had a second diaphyseal long bone fracture. In 14 patients, there was a concomitant
fracture of the patella, of which nine were ipsilateral. All significant concomitant injuries
were associated with high energy trauma. Fifty-four of the patients with concomitant
injuries had been injured in road traffic accidents.

STUDY II
In the low energy group (II), none of the patients had significant concomitant injuries.
One patient had a lesion of the femoral artery caused by the fracture.

STUDY III
In the study concerning displaced fatigue fractures of the femoral shaft (III), there were
no concomitant injuries.

STUDY IV
In the study of nonunion after intramedullary nailing (IV), 18 patients had sustained sig-
nificant concomitant injuries. These included a thoracoabdominal injury in 12 cases, oth-
er diaphyseal long bone fractures in six cases, a craniofacialcerebral injury in four cases,
a spinal injury in two cases, and a pelvic fracture in four cases.

5.4. Fracture characteristics (I, II, III, IV)

STUDY I

There were 92 fractures in the right femur (46%) and 109 in the left femur (56%). Nine
patients had bilateral, contemporary fractures (4% of all fractures). Of the 176 closed
fractures, 80 were Tscherne and Oestern Grade C II (46%), in which a contaminated
abrasion is associated with localized skin or muscle contusion from direct high energy
trauma, 53 were Grade C I (30%), 34 were Grade C0 (19%), and nine were the very
severe Grade CIII (5%). Of the 25 open fractures, 14 were Gustilo Type II, six Type III,
and five Type I. All six Type III open fractures were Type IIIA. The main fracture line
was in the middle third of the diaphysis in 79% of the fractures. There was a significant
association between increasing age and a distal third location (p value 0.02). There were
eight true segmental fractures. When using biomechanical classification, the majority,
155 (77%), of all fractures were transverse, oblique, or oblique-transverse (Table 15.). In
93 (46% of the fractures), the angle between a line perpendicular to the long axis of the
femur and the main fracture line was less than 30 degrees (Table 15.). There was a
significant association between increasing age and occurrence of a spiral fracture (p <
0.001).

79
Table 15. Distribution of fracture patterns according to biomechanical classification. Modified
from Salminen ST, Pihlajamki HK, Avikainen VJ, Bstman OM: Population based epidemiologic
and morphologic study of femoral shaft fractures. Clin Orthop Relat Res 372:241-249, 2000; with
permission from Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins. (I)

Fracture Pattern Number of Percentage (%) Median Age of

Fractures Patients
(Years, Range)
Transverse 80 40 24 (15-87)
Oblique-transverse 34 17 22 (15-84)
Oblique 41 20 26 (15-89)
Spiral 46 23 55 (15-92)
Total 201 100 27 (15-92)

Regarding the degree of comminution (Table 16.), the Winquist and Hansen Grade 0
fracture (noncomminuted) was the most common type (48%), followed by Grade II
fractures (22%), Grade IV fracture (13%), and Grade I fracture (9%).

Table 16. Degree of comminution according to Winquist and Hansen Classification. Modified
from Salminen ST, Pihlajamki HK, Avikainen VJ, Bstman OM: Population based epidemiologic
and morphologic study of femoral shaft fractures. Clin Orthop Relat Res 372:241-249, 2000; with
permission from Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins. (I)

Winquist and Hansen Number of Percentage Median Age of

Grading Fractures Patients
(Years, Range)
0 96 48 34 (15-92)
I 19 9 22 (17-70)
II 44 22 23 (15-81)
III 15 8 58 (16-84)
IV 27 13 26 (15-56)
Total 201 100 27 (15-92)

Forty-eight percent of the fractures were AO Type A, 39% were Type B, and 13% were
Type C fractures (Table 17.). The A3 transverse femoral shaft fracture was the most
common, followed by the B2 group with a bending wedge type and an intact butterfly
fragment. The C1 and C2 groups (spiral and segmental complex fractures) were the least
common. Only seven of the 27 possible subgroups occurred with a frequency of at least
3.7%. In a few cases, the exact typing of the fracture according to the AO classification
was difficult.

80
Table 17. Distribution of 201 fractures according to AO classification. Modified from Salminen
ST, Pihlajamki HK, Avikainen VJ, Bstman OM: Population based epidemiologic and
morphologic study of femoral shaft fractures. Clin Orthop Relat Res 372:241-249, 2000; with
permission from Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins. (I)

Fracture Number of Percentage Median Age of

Type Fractures (%) Patients
(Years, Range)
A1 17 9 75 (15-92)
A2 22 11 41 (15-89)
A3 57 28 24 (15-87)
B1 21 10,5 52 (16-84)
B2 36 18 21 (15-68)
B3 21 10.5 22 (15-66)
C1 8 4 34 (20-52)
C2 8 4 22 (15-56)
C3 11 5 26 (16-49)
Total 201 100 27 (15-92)

The association between an AO category A fracture and a middle third location (p value
0.002) and between a Winquist and Hansen Grade 0 fracture and a middle third location
was statistically significant (p value 0.02) (Table 18.).

Table 18. Fracture characteristics in relation to the site. Modified from Salminen ST, Pihlajamki
HK, Avikainen VJ, Bstman OM: Population based epidemiologic and morphologic study of
femoral shaft fractures. Clin Orthop Relat Res 372:241-249, 2000; with permission from Lippincott,
Williams & Wilkins. (I)

Fracture Characteristic Proximal Middle Distal P value

(n=18) (n=159) (n=24)
Median age of patients 26 (15-83) 25 (15-92) 43 (16-87) 0.02
(years, range)
Fracture [Number(%)] NS
Closed 17 (8.5) 136 (67.5) 23 (11.5)
Open 1 (0.5) 23 (11.5) 1 (0.5)
AO Type [Number(%)] 0.002
A 4 (2.0) 81 (40.0) 11 (5.5)
B 7 (3.5) 58 (29.0) 13 (6.5)
C 7 (3.5) 20 (10.0) 0 (0.0)
Fracture pattern [Number(%)] NS
Transverse 5 (2.0) 68 (34.0) 7 (3.5)
Oblique-transverse 4 (2.0) 29 (14.0) 1 (0.5)
Oblique 2 (2.0) 32 (16.0) 7 (3.5)
Spiral 7 (2.0) 30 (15.0) 9 (4.5)
Winquist and Hansen Grade 0.02
0 4 (2.0) 81 (40.0) 11 (5.5)
I 1 (2.0) 16 (8.0) 2 (1.0)
II 4 (2.0) 31 (15.5) 9 (4.5)
III 2 (2.0) 11 (5.5) 2 (1.0)
IV 7 (2.0) 20 (10.0) 0 (0.0)

81
STUDY II
Of the 50 fractures, there were 18 fractures of the right femur and 32 fractures of the left
femur. The difference was statistically significant (p value < 0.05). The 95% confidence
interval for the proportion of the left femur was 51 to 77%. All fractures were closed: the
soft-tissue injuries related to the fractures were of the C0 type in 34 fractures and of the
CI type in 16 fractures. In 33 cases the site of the fracture was in the middle third of the
femur. The most common biomechanical fracture pattern was a spiral one (Figure 5.)
(Table 19.). The distribution of other fracture configurations were as follows: transverse
in 10, oblique transverse in 7, and oblique in 4 cases. The different configuration types
were evenly distributed along the shaft (p value 0.37).

With regard to the degree of comminution, 36 fractures were of type I (minimal or no

comminution) of the Winquist-Hansen classification, 4 were of type II, and 10 were of
type III. When using the AO classification, the most common fracture patterns were a
simple spiral AO 32-A1.2 type (13 fractures) and a simple transverse AO 32-A3.2 type (7
fractures).

Table 19. Biomechanical configuration and fracture site. Modified from Salminen ST, Pihlajamki
HK, Avikainen VJ, Bstman OM: Population based epidemiologic and morphologic study of
femoral shaft fractures. Clin Orthop Relat Res 372:241-249, 2000; with permission from Lippincott,
Williams & Wilkins. (I)

Fracture Proximal third Middle third Distal third Total

Configuration Number of Number of Number of Number of
Patients Patients Patients Patients
Tranverse 1 5 4 10
Oblique-transverse 0 7 0 7
Oblique 1 2 1 4
Spiral 2 19 8 29
Total 4 33 13 50

82
Figure 5A-B. A comminuted spiral fracture of the middle femoral diaphysis caused by low
energy trauma (II).

STUDY III
Five conscripts had a fracture of the right femur, and five of the left femur. There were
no bilateral fractures. All fractures were closed. Six fractures were located in the distal
third, three in the middle third, and one fracture in the proximal third of the diaphysis.
Four fractures were oblique-transverse, four oblique, and two had a spiral configuration.
There were no pure transverse fractures. Six fractures were primarily noncomminuted
(Grade 0 by the Winquist-Hansen classification). Three fractures were Grade I, and one
was Grade II. The most common pattern was a noncomminuted oblique or oblique-
transverse fracture, AO Type A2.3, in the distal third of the shaft (three fractures) (Table
14.). Only four fractures were consistent with the fracture classification by Provost and
Morris (Provost and Morris 1969), of these, one fracture belonged to Group II, and three
fractures to Group III.

STUDY IV
There were 13 fractures of the right femoral shaft (41%) and 19 fractures of the left
femoral shaft with nonunion (59%). One patient had fractures of both femurs, but not at
the same time. Another patient had also a bilateral femoral shaft fracture, but nonunion
occurred only in one of the fractured femur. Of the 27 closed fractures, three were
Tscherne Grade C0, nineteen Grade CI, three Grade CII, and two Grade CIII. Of the
eight open fractures, two were of Gustilo Type I, three Type II, and three Type IIIA. The
principal fracture line was located in the middle third of the femoral diaphysis in nineteen

83
fractures, in the proximal third in ten fractures, and in the distal third in six cases. Ac-
cording to the biomechanical classification, the majority (26 fractures) were oblique-
transverse. There were six pure transverse and three spiral fractures. There were eight
Winquist and Hansen Grade 0 fractures (noncomminuted), one Grade I, seven Grade II,
eleven Grade III, and eight Grade IV. The AO and OTA fracture types were as follows:
nine fractures of Type A, fifteen of Type B, and eleven of Type C.

5.5. Outcome and complications of fracture treatment (II, III, IV)

STUDY II
Altogether 29 of the 40 patients (73%) who could be followed up until union showed
concomitant complications. Four elderly patients died within 2 months postoperatively,
one from a pulmonary embolism, and 3 from a heart disease. In only 11 cases was the
healing of the fracture uneventful. During the follow-up time, 18 reoperations for compli-
cations were performed on 12 patients (Table 20.). Ten reoperations on 7 patients were
performed due to nonunion. The predominant pathogenesis of the nonunions seemed to
be soft-tissue interposition between the extensive fracture surfaces of the fragments with
spiral configuration (Figure 6.). One patient underwent three reoperations for nonunion.
In the first reoperation, a Kntscher nail with severe shortening of the femur was re-
placed by static interlocked nailing with autogenous bone transplantation. In the second
reoperation, bone transplantation was performed, and the third operative procedure was
aimed at proximal dynamization of the nail. In another patient, a dynamic compression
plate broke 26 weeks postoperatively as a result of an ununited fracture, and was re-
placed by a Kntscher nail. In one case, a dynamic interlocked nail without distal inter-
locking screws perforated the knee joint on the first postoperative day, and necessitated a
rereduction and insertion of distal interlocking screws. The most common mode of malun-
ion was a moderate shortening and valgus. Of the 13 patients with malunion, 9 had
shortening of the femur. The patients with malunion experienced only mild symptoms
and did not undergo reoperations. Because of shortening of the leg, six patients used a
continuous shoe lift.

STUDY III
The four fractures that were stabilized with a dynamic compression plate showed addi-
tional comminution to Grade II on the Winquist-Hansen classification during the opera-
tion. Additional comminution also occurred in two intramedullary nailings.

In one conscript, suspicion of a fat embolism was present because of respiratory distress
on the first postoperative day after Kntscher nailing, but he recovered in 3 days. One
conscript had a superficial wound infection. The conscripts returned to light duty military
service 6 weeks postoperatively, on the average. Two conscripts were exempted from
military service for 2 years.

84
Figure 6.
A.-B. A 72-year-old woman fell in sauna at ground level and got a spiral fracture of the middle
diaphysis of the left femur.
C. The fracture was treated with a static Grosse-Kempf nail.
D. Due to delayed union, a bone grafting from the iliac crest was performed.
E. The fracture healed 5 months later (II).

Two reoperations were necessary. One Kntscher nail proved to be axially unstable caus-
ing difficulties in mobilization, and was exchanged to a static AO Universal nail after 2
weeks. An excessively long distal screw was replaced after plate fixation in one patient.
Otherwise, the clinical courses were uneventful (Figures 7. and 8.). The median time to
solid bony union was 3.5 months (range, 3-5 months). In all cases, the fixation devices
were removed 1 to 3.5 years postoperatively. In two fractures, the screw holes were still
detectable more than 10 years after the fracture fixation. The only patient with malunion
had a shortening of 1.6 cm of the femur, confirmed by radiographs measuring the exact
leg length inequality (orthodiagram), attributable to initial comminution of the fracture.
The patient also had a 25-degree external rotation of the lower extremity. At follow-up,
the ranges of movement of the knees and hips were normal in all patients. One patient had
persisting pain in the knee after a distal fracture stabilized with a dynamic condylar screw.
By the last re-examination, none of the conscripts had sustained additional fatigue frac-
tures.

85
 Table 20. Characteristics of the 29 patients with postoperative local complications. Modified from Salminen S, Pihlajamki H, Avikainen V, Kyr A,
Bstman O: Specific features associated with femoral shaft fractures caused by low energy trauma. J Trauma 43:117-122, 1997; with permission from
Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins. (II)

Age/ Predisposing Fracture Fracture Internal Fixation/ Complications and

Patient Comments
Gender Factors Configuration Comminution Immobilization Secondary Measures
Nonunion and breakage of the plate; re-osteosynthesis
1 35/F - Spiral W-H III DCP and bone grafting IM nailing should have been used
using a Kntscher IM nail
CAB, ND, Delayed union, malunion (1.5 cm shortening) Inadequate plating
2 37/M Spiral W-H II DCP and plaster cast
KLR
G-K IM nail with distal Malunion (1.5 cm shortening) Static interlocking should have been used
3 17/M - Spiral W-H II
interlocking
G-K IM nail with static Wound breakdown
4 40/M PF, ND Spiral W-H I
interlocking
V-W IM nail wih static Malunion (varus 7 degrees)
5 52/M ND Spiral W-H III
interlocking
Nonunion; (1) reoperation: G-K IM nail with static
Oblique- interlocking and bone grafting; (2) reoperation: bone Closed reduction and static interlocking
6 34/M - W-H II Open reduction and Kntscher grafting; (3): reoperation: proximal IM nail with could have prevented the nonunion
transverse
cerclage wire dynamization
7 67/F - Transverse W-H I Kntscher IM nail Malunion (2.5 cm shortening) Undetected intraoperative comminution
Oblique- G-K IM nail with static Malunion (2 cm shortening) Severe comminution
8 66/M - W-H III

86
transverse interlocking
DM, COPD, G-K IM nail with distal Axial shortening and recurvatum within 2 weeks;
9 89/F Spiral W-H I Static interlocking should have been used
OA interlocking skeletal traction
G-K IM nail with static Nonunion and migration of a distal interlocking screw;
10 60/F CAB Spiral W-H II Static interlocking in diastasis
interlocking distal dynamization
Migration of an Ender nail; removal of an Ender nail in
11 91/F CAB/PF Spiral W-H I Open reduction and Ender nailing three separate reoperations
12 73/F - Transverse W-H I Kntscher IM nail Deep wound infection, delayed union
G-K IM nail with static Nonunion and migration of a distal interlocking screw;
13 79/F - Spiral W-H III distal dynamization
interlocking
14 92/F - Spiral W-H I Kntscher IM nail Malunion (valgus 7 degrees)
Severe axial shortening and nail perforating the knee
G-K IM nail with proximal joint within 1 week, finally malunion (valgus 10
Static interlocking should have been used
15 84/F TP Spiral W-H III degrees); closed reduction and application of distal
interlocking
interlocking screws
G-K IM nail with static Nonunion and migration of an interlocking screw; bone
16 72/F COPD Spiral W-H III grafting and tightening of an interlocking screw
interlocking
G-K IM nail with proximal Nonunion and finally malunion (shortening 1.5 cm); (1)
17 83/F DM, OA Transverse W-H I renailing: G-K IM nail with proximal interlocking; (2)
interlocking renailing: G-K IM nail with static interlocking and bone
 grafting
G-K IM nail with distal Malunion (shortening 4 cm and internal rotation 10 Non-ambulatory patient, no secondary
18 87/F - Spiral W-H I degrees) measures
interlocking
G-K IM nail with static Nonunion and migration of an interlocking screw,
19 71/M - Spiral W-H I finally malunion (shortening 1.5 cm); proximal
interlocking dynamization
Deep wound infection, delayed union, finally malunion
20 61/M DM, ND Oblique W-H I Ender nailing (external rotation 10 degrees); removal of Ender nails
G-K IM nail with static Deep wound infection
21 66/M COPD Spiral W-H I
interlocking
22 75/M ND Spiral W-H I Kntscher IM nail Malunion (shortening 1.5 cm)
G-K IM nail with static Because of old age and poor general
23 84/F - Spiral W-H III Wound breakdown, delayed union condition, no secondary measures were
interlocking performed
Loosening of the plate part of DCS within 1 month; (1)
24 62/F DM Transverse W-H I DCS nailing: Kntscher IM nail, which subsequently broke; IM nailing should have been used
(2) nailing: G-K IM nail with staic interlocking
Oblique- V-W IM nail with distal Delayed union
25 66/M PF W-H I
transverse interlocking
IM nailing should possibly have been
26 66/F ND Oblique W-H I Plaster cast Delayed union
performed despite tetraplegia
27 88/F PF Spiral W-H I DCP Malunion (2.5 cm shortening)
Supracondylar refracture; reosteosynthesis using a 95-
28 75/F - Spiral W-H I DCP degree condylar plate and cerclage
29 79/F DM, PF Spiral W-H I DCP Superficial wound infection

87
F, Female; M, Male; DM, diabetes mellitus, CAB, chronic alcohol abuse; COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with cortisone medication; PF, previous major
fracture of the same extremity; ND, neuromuscular disorders; OA, severe osteoarthritis of the ipsilateral hip or knee; TP, previous total prosthesis replacement of the
ipsilateral hip or knee; KLR, previous ipsilateral knee ligament rupture; W-H, Winquist-Hansen classification; DCP, AO dynamic compression plate; DCS, AO dynamic
condylar screw; IM nail, intramedullary nail; G-K, Grosse-Kempf; V-W, Vari-Wall.
88
Figure 7.
A.-B. A 20-year-old conscript (Case 5., Table 14.) had had no previous pain before he slipped at ground level and sustained a spiral fracture
with some periosteal reaction.
C.-E. The AO 32-B1.2 fracture was treated with a static Grosse-Kempf nail, and the fracture healed in 3 months without complications (D-E).
Figure 8.
A.-B. A 19-year-old previously healthy conscript (Case 9, Table 14.) stumbled down stairs 1.5
months after beginning his military service and sustained a distal oblique-transverse slightly
comminuted (Winquist-Hansen Grade I) AO 32-B2.3 fracture.
C.-D. The fracture was treated with an AO intramedullary nail without complications.
E.-G. The fracture healed in 3.5 months.
H.-I. The nail was removed after two years. The situation at the last follow-up control.

STUDY IV
Severe primary comminution of the fracture was present on the radiographs of nineteen
patients after the initial intramedullary nailing (Table 21.). In eight cases, the comminution
of the fracture increased in severity intraoperatively because of technical faults during the
primary nailing procedure. Likewise, in eight cases, a clear diastasis could be detected on
the postoperative radiographs (Table 22.).

89
In the analysis of the sequence of postoperative radiographs, the principal finding at the
time of diagnosis of disturbed union was a diaphyseal fracture gap with arrested consol-
idation in eight, poor bony apposition due to angulation between the fracture fragments in
five, scanty callus with acceptable bony apposition in twenty, and hypertrophic nonunion
in two cases.

In eight fractures, a fatigue failure of the intramedullary nail or the locking screws oc-
curred before surgical measures were undertaken (Figures 9. and 10.). Failure of consol-
idation resulted in a complete breakage of the nail in six cases (including five static 10-
mm-13-mm AO intramedullary nails as well as one dynamically and one statically locked
13-mm Klemm-Schellmann nail), three of which occurred within six months after the
initial operation, and the remaining three between six and twelve months.

Table 21. Summary of specific clinical and radiographic characteristics observed in patients
with failed union of femoral shaft fractures after intramedullary nailing (N = 35); two or more
itemized characteristics are present in 31 cases. Modified from Pihlajamki HK, Salminen ST,
Bstman OM: The treatment of nonunions following intramedullary nailing of femoral shaft
fractures. J Orthop Trauma 16:394-402, 2002; with permission from Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins.
(IV)

Characteristic Factors Number of

Fractures
Factors related to fracture pattern
- Severe primary comminution of fracture (W-H III or IV) a 19
- Displaced butterfly fragment with potential muscle interposition 12
- Concomitant injury interfering with mobilization 17
- Rheumatoid arthritis with cortisone medication 8
Factors related to soft-tissues
8
- Open fracture 6
- Severe closed soft-tissue injury (Tscherne C II or III) b
Iatrogenic factors
- Opening of fracture site during intramedullary nailing 8
- Increased comminution during intramedullary nailing 8
- Diastasis after intramedullary nailing 8
- Severe angulation with poor bony apposition after nailing 5
- Malpositioning of an interlocking screw through fracture surfaces 1
- Early renailing due to unstable primary nailing 6
- Other early reoperation due to local complications 2
a b
Winquist-Hansen Grade according to the preoperative radiographs. Tscherne classification.

90
Figure 9.
A. A 34-year-old woman experienced a comminuted (Winquist-Hansen Grade II) AO Type 32-
B3.2 fracture of the right femoral shaft when she was hit by a car.
B. The fracture was treated with open Kntscher nailing.
C. Due to axial instability, the fracture was renailed one month later with a static AO nail.
D.-E. Due to fracture alignment, fracture healing necessitated bone grafting 5 months later.
F.-G. The nail broke after 10 months.
H.-I. The nail was replaced with an AO nail, which was dynamized 9 months later.
J. The fracture finally healed almost three years after the initial trauma (IV).

91
Figure 10.
A. A 36-year-old man fell from a height of eight meters resulting in a proximal comminuted
(Winquist-Hansen Grade III) femoral shaft fracture, a facial bone fracture, and a distal radius
fracture.
B. The right-sided femoral shaft fracture was treated with a static AO nail.
C.-E. Dynamization was performed after 8.5 months.
F. After 1.5 months the nail broke at one of the proximal screw holes.
G. Exchange nailing with a static 15-mm-nail with autogenous bone grafting was performed.
H. The fracture eventually showed signs of healing (IV).

92
 Table 22. Patients with failed union of femoral shaft fractures after intramedullary nailing (N = 35). Modified from Pihlajamki HK, Salminen ST,
Bstman OM: The treatment of nonunions following intramedullary nailing of femoral shaft fractures. J Orthop Trauma 16:394-402, 2002; with permission
from Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins. (IV)
p f pp , ( )
Winquist
Pa- Gender
and IM-Nailing, Nail and Procedure for Failed Consolidation and Its Timing
ti- and Age Early Complications and Early Reoperations
Hansen Interlocking Types (Months)
ent (Years)
Grade
1 F, 45 I C, K, dynamic Renailing for rotational instability Dynamization (8)
2 F, 46 IV C, K, dynamic Iatrogenic intraoperative comminution open renailing for axial instability Dynamization (5)
3 M, 28 III C, AO, static Iatrogenic intraoperative comminution Exchange nailing (16)
4 F, 20 0 O, K-S, dynamic, two distal screws Intraoperative comminution, a cross screw placed on the fracture level Exchange nailing with autogenous bone grafting (4)
5 F, 18 IV C, K-S, static 9 varus angulation, superficial wound infection Dynamization and autogenous bone grafting (10)
6 F, 35 III C, AO, static Diastasis, 25 antecurvatum Autogenous bone grafting (8)
7 M, 30 II C, AO, dynamic, one dynamic proximal screw None Dynamization (5)
8 F, 37 IV C, AO, static Iatrognic intraoperative comminution, superficial wound infection Exchange nailing (7)
9 F, 27 II O, AO, static Diastasis, delayed would closure Dynamization (7)
10 F, 72 III O, K, dynamic Superficial wound infection Exchange nailing (8)
11 M, 36 III C, AO, static None Dynamization (9)
9 valgus angulation, a cross screw was placed on the fracture level, reapplication of a
12 M, 53 III C, K-S, dynamic, two distal screws Autogenous bone grafting (7)
cross screw in a reoperation for axial instability
13 M, 46 0 C, K, dynamic Intraoperative comminution, renailing for axial and rotational instability Dynamization with autogenous bone grafting (17)
14 M, 54 0 O, K-S, static Intraoperative comminution, renailing because of nail breakage after stumbling Exchange nailing with autogenous bone grafting (13)

93
15 F, 27 II C, K, dynamic None Exchange nailing (51)
16* F, 27 III C, K-S, static None Exchange nailing (52)
17 M, 31 0 C, AO, static None Dynamization (8)
18 M, 27 IV O, K-S, static None Dynamization (10)
19 M, 20 IV C, K-S, static Intraoperative shortening Dynamization (5)
20 M, 21 II C, AO, dynamic, one dynamic proximal screw None Exchange nailing with autogenous bone grafting (14)
21 M, 43 IV C, K-S, static Intraoperative bending of the nail Autogenous bone grafting (5)
22 F, 50 III C, AO, dynamic, one static proximal screw None Autogenous bone grafting (21)
23 M, 40 III C, K-S, dynamic, one proximal screw Diastasis Dynamization (11)
24 F, 27 0 C, K, dynamic 10 recurvatum Exchange nailing (9)
25 M, 25 III C, AO, static None Dynamization (9)
26 F, 45 IV C, AO, static Renailing for axial instability caused by osteoporotic bone Dynamization (6)
27 M, 23 II O, AO, dynamic, one dynamic proximal screw Reapplication of a distal cross screw because of rotational instability Exchange nailing (9)
28 F, 15 II C, AO, static Diastasis and cortical defect Dynamization (4)
29 F, 34 II O, K, dynamic Renailing for axial instability, 20 antecurvatum Autogenous bone grafting (6)
30 F, 34 IV C, K-S, static None Dynamization (7)
31 M, 21 0 C, AO, static Diastasis Dynamisation (6)
32 M, 22 0 C, AO, static Diastasis Dynamization (3)
33 F, 51 0 C, AO, dynamic, one dynamic proximal screw Proximal distal screw hole is on the fracture level Exchange nailing (9)
34 F, 21 III C, AO, static Diastasis and cortical defect Dynamization (8.5)
35 M, 31 III O, K-S, static Diastasis Dynamization (5.5)
W-H, Winquist and Hansen classification; C, closed intramedullary nailing; O, open intramedullary nailing; K, Kntscher nail; AO, AO Universal Nail; K-S, Klemm-Schellmann
nail,* the other femur of the same patient number 15.
The timing of the surgical treatment of the disturbed union process varied considerably.
In eleven cases, the reoperation was performed between three and six months, in seven-
teen cases between six and twelve months, in five cases between one and two years, and
in two cases more than two years after the primary nailing procedure.

In 25 fractures, one reoperation for nonunion was sufficient to unite the fracture. Six
fractures were reoperated twice, and four needed three reoperations. The first reopera-
tion consisted of dynamization of the nail alone in seventeen fractures, dynamization with
autogenous bone transplantation in two cases, bone grafting alone with the nail in situ in
five cases, exchange nailing alone in eight cases, and exchange nailing with autogenous
bone grafting in three cases. All patients with autogenous bone grafting alone required a
further reoperation for nonunion. After a dynamization procedure, four of seventeen pa-
tients required a further reoperation. After eight primary exchange nailing procedures,
only one patient underwent subsequent surgery for nonunion. No deep infections compli-
cated the reoperations.

The ununited fractures transformed into solid union within six months after the final
successful reoperation. The ultimate functional recovery was compromised by shorten-
ing of the femur in six cases as follows: six centimeters in one, three centimeters in three,
2.5 centimeters in one, and two centimeters in one case. Four of these shortenings oc-
curred in patients who had undergone dynamization. In one case, a valgus malunion of 9
degrees was seen after unsuccessful bone grafting and subsequent successful dynamiza-
tion procedure. Excluding the patients with significant shortening of the femur, the final
functional recovery was acceptable.

94
Figure 11.
A. A 20-year-old man hit a car with a motorbike and sustained a Grade II comminuted transverse
open fracture of the left femoral midshaft.
B. The fracture was treated with open intramedullary nailing with a 11-mm Kntscher nail.
C.-D. The nail broke 2 months after the operation.
E. The nail was replaced with a reamed 13-mm Kntscher nail resulting in additional comminution
and 4 cm shortening at the fracture site.
F. The newer nail was axially unstable.
G.-I. After bony union, the nail was removed 1.5 years after the initial trauma. A leg length
discrepancy of 6 cm was detected.

95
Figure 12.
A. A 21-year-old woman who was injured in a truck that hit another car. She sustained a closed
comminuted AO Type C 3.1.1-fracture of the left femoral shaft, rupture of the spleen and liver, a
gallbladder contusion, a mesenterial hematoma, fractures of the pelvis and medial malleolus as
well as fractures of the distal radius and metacarpals of the opposite side and a cardiac
tamponation.
B.-D. The femoral shaft fracture was treated with a static 10-mm AO intramedullary nail.
E.-F. The fracture healing was delayed.
G.-H. The nail was dynamized after 8.5 months from the initial injury.
I.-J. The fracture healed after 1.5 years from the initial injury, and the nail was removed 2 years
later.

96
Figure 13.
A. A 40-year old man with gout arthritis hit a lamp post when driving a car, and sustained a
closed, gradus III comminuted AO Type 32-B2.1 fracture of the left proximal femur.
B.-C. The fracture was initially treated with a dynamic 13-mm Klemm-Schellmann nail. A broken
drillbit is also seen on the postoperative radiographs.
D.-E. A refracture has developed after removal of the nail.
F. Refixation was performed with an AO nail using two proximal interlocking screws.
G.-H. The nail was dynamized later, resulting in consolidation of the fracture. After 4 years from
the initial trauma, the leg length discrepancy was 2 cm.

97
Figure 14.
A. A 46-year-old man twisted his left femoral diaphysis when he slipped from a pile of stones
and sustained a Grade II open, non-comminuted (Winquist-Hansen Grade 0), AO Type 32-A3.2
fracture.
B. The fracture was treated with a 15-mm Kntscher nail (closed nailing) that caused additional
comminution of the proximal part. After 4 days, the nail was exchanged for a static 14-mm
Klemm-Schellmann nail without additional reaming.
C. Autogenous bone grafting and dynamization of the nail was performed at 17 months resulting
in bony union 6 months later.

98
Figure 15.
A.-B. A 20-year-old car driver had a collision with another car and sustained a comminut-
ed AO Type 32-C3.3. fracture.
C.-E. The fracture was treated with a 13-mm Klemm-Schellmann nail. The 4 cm short-
ening was a result of the initial fracture.
F.-G. Dynamization of the nail proximally and additional bone grafting were performed 5
months later.
H.-I. After the removal of the nail, the use of a 2 cm shoe lift was necessary.

99
6. GENERAL DISCUSSION

6.1. Incidence of femoral shaft fractures

The risk of sustaining a femoral shaft fracture is thought to vary in different populations.
The peak occurrence of femoral shaft fractures in males from 15 to 24 years of age is a
well known phenomenon, but the incidence figures reported vary considerably. The inci-
dence in that age group, 39 per 100 000 person-years in the epidemiologic study (I), was
found to be as high as 64.6 per 100 000 person-years in Rochester, Minnesota (122
fractures during 20 years) (Arneson et al. 1988). The incidence in a male age group from
20 to 29 years was 191 per 100 000 inhabitants, and in a female group 26 per 100 000
inhabitants in the Netherlands (Kootstra 1973). In a Swedish population-based study
(including 362 fractures during 33 years), the average annual incidences in male age
groups from 10 to 19 years and from 20 to 29 years were 14.7 and 9.2 per 100 000
inhabitants in the 1980s (Bengnr et al. 1990).

In addition, the age-related features in the incidence of femoral shaft fractures appear to
vary in different populations. Only one previous study, examining the mixed Asian popu-
lation in Singapore, as well as the study from the Netherlands (Kootstra 1973), showed a
tendency similar to that observed in the epidemiologic study (I): an increase in incidence
with aging was observed only among women (Wong 1966). A few other, earlier studies
indicated that the incidence of diaphyseal femoral fractures increased with age in men and
women. This was the case in the urban populations of Dundee and Oxford in the United
Kingdom (Knowelden, Buhr, Dunbar 1964), of Stockholm (Hedlund and Lindgren 1986)
and Malm (Bengnr et al. 1990) in Sweden, and of Rochester, Minnesota (Arneson et al.
1988). Of these, only the Rochester data showed a clear increase in distal femoral frac-
tures with age, similar to the findings of the epidemiologic study (I), but the Rochester
survey also included fractures distal to the diaphyseal section of the bone.

In the study concerning displaced femoral shaft fatigue fractures (III), the incidence in
conscripts to sustain a displaced femoral shaft fatigue fracture was 1.5 per 100 000
person-years in military service. Previous studies have mainly been case reports (Asal
1936; Wolfe and Robertson 1945; Morris and Blickenstaff 1967; Hallel, Amit, Segal 1976;
Orava 1980; Luchini, Sarokhan, Micheli 1983; Dugowson, Drinkwater, Clark 1991;
Visuri and Hietaniemi 1992; Clement et al. 1993), although two more extensive studies
have been published (Provost and Morris 1969; Bargren, Tilson, Bridgeford 1971), but
the true incidence, the morphologic characteristics, and the long-term treatment results
of these fractures have not been systematically examined before (Table 23.). For the
study III, the age distribution of the patients was more specific: the majority of conscripts
are 19 years of age at the beginning of their basic training. In general, military service is
completed within two years following call-up, at the age of 19 to 20. It is possible to
volunteer at 18, and deferment can be granted until the end of the year in which the man
turns 28. Conscripts enter the Army, the Air Force and the Navy twice a year. Military
service lasts 180, 270 or 362 days. Military service on a voluntary basis for women in
Finland started in 1995 (Public Information Division of the Defence Staff 2004).

100
For a military conscript, the risk of sustaining a fatigue fracture has been reported to
increase due to poor physical condition (Gilbert and Johnson 1966; Shaffer et al. 1999),
low level of prior physical activity (Gilbert and Johnson 1966; Shaffer et al. 1999), low
tibial and femoral bone density (Beck et al. 1996), small diaphyseal dimensions of the tibia
and the femur (i.e. a short and thin femoral shaft) (Beck et al. 1996), malalignment and
length differences of the lower extremities (Sahi 1984; Matheson et al. 1987), poor strength
of the lower leg muscles (McBryde 1985), poor training procedures (Gilbert and Johnson
1966; Greaney et al. 1983), and excessive training in specific subunits (Gilbert and John-
son 1966; Hallel, Amit, Segal 1976; Meurman, Somer, Lamminen 1981; Sahi 1984; Shway-
hat et al. 1994). During common conscript training, identical weight packs and other
equipment are carried, regardless of the conscripts body stature. Provost and Morris
(1969) observed that a large weight gain during the early weeks of basic training and
minor prior physical activity were typical of patients sustaining a displaced femoral shaft
fatigue fracture. Obese individuals may be at an increased risk for stress fractures in
general, although several studies on the epidemiology of stress fracture types in military
service failed to find an association between stress fractures and anthropometric varia-
bles in either gender (Schmidt Brudvig, Gudger, Obermeyer 1983; Shaffer et al. 1999). In
one recent study, it was reported that soldiers with stress fractures detectable in scintig-
raphy weighted and smoked less than control subjects (Givon et al. 2000). In the study
III, the median body mass index of the concripts was normal, while only one conscript
was underweight and one was obese.

Before the fracture displacement, nine conscripts experienced thigh or knee pain for 1 to
6 weeks. According to Provost and Morris (1969) and Hershman et al. (Hershman, Lom-
bardo, Bergfeld 1990), the pain is usually poorly localized and vague. To increase the
accuracy of diagnosis, a fulcrum test (Johnson, Weiss, Wheeler 1994), a fist test (Mil-
grom et al. 1993), a hop test (Clement et al. 1993), radiographs every 2 weeks (Bargren,
Tilson, Bridgeford 1971), and scintigraphy (Visuri and Hietaniemi 1992) or MRI (Kiuru
2002; Lassus et al. 2002) in suspected cases have been recommended. However, dis-
placement can occur even without preceding symptoms (Luchini, Sarokhan, Micheli
1983), as was the case with one patient of the study III.

101
 Table 23. Cases of Displaced Femoral Shaft Fatigue Fractures Reported in Previous Studies. Modified from Salminen ST, Pihlajamki HK, Visuri TI,
Bstman OM: Displaced fatigue fractures of the femoral shaft. Clin Orthop Relat Res 409:250-259, 2003; with permission from Lippincott, Williams &
Wilkins. (III)
Study and Year Number of Population Age and Gender Prior Pain Fracture Fracture Fracture
Patients Type (Years) Symptoms Location Type Treatment
Asal 1936 1 Military conscript 20, M 2 weeks, knee Middle-distal Not reported Nonoperative
and thigh

Wolfe and Robertson 1945 1 Military conscript 18, M 4 weeks, thigh Middle-distal Not reported Skin traction
Morris and Blickenstaff 1 Military conscript 22, M 1 week, thigh Proximal-middle Not reported Kntscher IM
1967* nail and bone
grafting

Provost and Morris 1969 16 Military 1924, M 1 week, knee 1 Proximal Not reported Not-reported
conscripts -2 weeks, 6 Middle Spiral-oblique Skeletal traction
knee 9 Distal Transverse Skeletal traction
2-3 weeks,
thigh

102
Bargren et al. 1971* 8 Military Not reported Not reported Not reported Not reported Not-reported
conscripts
Hallel, Amit, Segal 1976 * 1 Military Not reported 1 week, knee Distal Not reported Plate fixation
Orava 1980 * 3 conscripts Not reported Not reported Distal Not reported AO plate fixation
Luchini, Sarokhan, Micheli 2 Athletes 38, M; 23, F No symptoms Middle Long oblique and IM nail
1983 Runners transverse
Dugowson, Drinkwater, 1 Runner 32, F 3 weeks, thigh Proximal-middle Comminuted IM nail
Clark 1991
Visuri and Hietaniemi 1992 3 Military 1920, M 2-6 weeks Distal Oblique IM nail, AO plate
**
conscripts
Clement et al. 1993 * 1 Athlete 32, F 5 weeks Middle Not reported IM nai
Current Study 10 Military 1820, M 1-6 weeks, knee 1 Proximal 4 Oblique 5 IM nail
conscripts and/or thigh 3 Middle 4 Oblique-transverse 4 DCP
6 Distal 2 Spiral 1 DCS

F = female; M = male; DCP = Dynamic Compression Plate; DCS = Dynamic Condylar Screw; *Included also undisplaced fatigue fractures;
**Patients included in the present study
6.2. Injury season and injury mechanisms of femoral shaft fractures in adults
The epidemiologic study (I) showed that a third of the fractures occurred between July
and September, suggesting a similar tendency as in the Kootstra study (1973). Based on
the data of the epidemiologic study (I), the main group sustaining high energy trauma in
road traffic accidents composed of automobile drivers.

Even if three-fourths (3/4) of the femoral shaft fractures were caused by high energy
trauma, the number of low energy fractures was remarkable (I, II). The most common
cause of a diaphyseal fracture in the elderly was low energy trauma. This observation and
the excess of female patients indicate that osteoporosis is a major causative factor among
the older age group.

Previous data regarding the specific features of femoral shaft fractures caused by low
energy trauma are limited. In two-thirds of our patients, there was a pre-existing condi-
tion likely to cause osteopenia of the femur. According to a prior study of cadaver femora
and tibia, a consistent decrease with age of all mechanical properties has been evident,
with the exception of plastic modulus in femoral but not in tibial specimens (Burstein,
Reilly, Martens 1976). Consequently, weakening of the mechanical strength of the femo-
ra could be expected to be present in the older patients, even without any other predispos-
ing factors.

It has been estimated that every third person older than 64 years falls at least once each
year (Campbell et al. 1981; Prudham and Evans 1981; Lach et al. 1991; Forinash and
Meade 2000; Carter, Kannus, Khan 2001), and that 3.5-10% of these falls can cause a
fracture (Baker, ONeill, Karf 1984; Tinetti et al. 1988; Campbell et al. 1990; Forinash and
Meade 2000). Using this data, the incidence of low energy femoral shaft fractures in the
elderly, 8 cases per 100 000 person-years in the study II, indicates that one out of 400
fractures in the elderly is a low energy femoral shaft fracture. Kannus et al. (1997)
examined the trends in the incidence of fall-induced injuries in Finland for 1970-95. They
discovered that the number of elderly patients with fall-induced injury increased consid-
erably, from 4019 in 1970 to 17 604 in 1995. The average increase was 13.5% per year.
The age-adjusted incidence (per 100 000 60-year-old or older individuals) of injuries
showed a clear increase from 1970 to 1995: 840 to 1911 in women, and 484 to 1167 in
men. In 1995, 65% of these injuries were bone fractures.

6.3. Concomitant injuries related to femoral shaft fractures in adults

As expected, the occurrence of concomitant injuries was related to high energy trauma
(I). Fractures caused by low energy injuries seemed to occur without concomitant inju-
ries (II), which was likewise to be expected owing to the low energy nature of the injury.
In contrast, 47% of patients with femoral shaft fractures from high energy impacts have
been reported to exhibit significant associated injuries (Taylor, Banerjee, Alpar 1994).

103
6.4. Morphology of femoral shaft fractures in adults
In concordance with a previous study (Wong 1966), most of the femoral shaft fractures
occurred in the middle third of the femur (I). The epidemiologic study (I) showed that the
patients with spiral fractures were older than those with other types of fractures. The
study of the femoral shaft fractures caused by low energy injuries (II) showed that spiral
fractures are typical of a low energy mechanism.

Regarding the degree of comminution, only 1/5 of the fractures represented the severely
comminuted Winquist and Hansen Grade III and Grade IV fractures (I). The original
Winquist and Hansen classification was intended for grading of comminuted fractures
only (Winquist and Hansen 1980), but, later other authors added Grade 0 to represent a
noncomminuted fracture (Johnson, Johnston, Parker 1984). However, the benefit of
separating Grade 0 and Grade I from each other seems questionable or even meaningless
for the treatment of the fracture.

The distribution of femoral shaft fractures according to the AO Type in the epidemiologic
study (I): Type A 48%; Type B 39%; and Type C 13%, was close to the percentages
reported by some AO clinics (Type A 53%, Type B 34%, and Type C 13%) (Mller et al.
1990). However, with 27 subgroups with additional ramifications, the AO classification
seems unnecessarily detailed and complex in classifying femoral shaft fractures. This
observation has been pointed out by other authors as well (Bucholz and Jones 1991;
Lichtenhahn, Fernandez, Schatzker 1992; Bernstein et al. 1997). In the epidemiologic
study (I), the use of three B types appeared to offer limited value. Moreover, it was
impossible to elect a precise AO subtype categorization for some fractures, particularly
within the B category.

In femoral shaft fractures caused by low energy injury (I), the most common fracture
pattern was a simple spiral fracture, with minimal comminution, in the middle third of the
femoral shaft. Furthermore, in a previous series focusing on longitudinal femoral shaft
fractures, 56% of the cases were found to have been caused by low energy trauma
(Varjonen et al. 1990). From the radiological fracture patterns and the mechanisms of
injury, the amount of energy involved in producing the fractures can be estimated (Alms
1961). A simple spiral fracture results from a torsional low energy injury mechanism.
Accordingly, comminution of the fragments was rare in the present series.

The displaced fractures were mainly located in the distal third of the femoral shaft (III).
This is also in concordance with several prior reports on femoral shaft fatigue fractures
(Wolfe and Robertson 1945; Provost and Morris 1969; Hallel, Amit, Segal 1976; Visuri
and Hietaniemi 1992). With regard to their morphologic features, the fatigue fractures
clearly differed from femoral shaft fractures caused by low energy trauma (I). In the
distal third of the diaphysis, most of the fatigue fractures were noncomminuted oblique
or oblique-transverse types. One displaced fracture had an exceptional location in the
proximal third, a site reported only once before in the literature (Provost and Morris
1969). No explanatory differences in the constitution of this patient could be identified.

104
A displaced fatigue fracture can be primarily comminuted (Dugowson, Drinkwater, Clark
1991), like one fracture with a Grade II comminution in the current study. The bone at
the fracture tended to be brittle, and likely to be more easily shattered during the fixation
procedure. Gentle handling of the bone during surgery is imperative also in fatigue frac-
tures. (III)

6.5. Treatment, outcome and complications of femoral shaft fractures in

adults
When dealing with a semiurban population similar to the one presented in the epidemio-
logic study (I), extensive resource allocation for allied subspecialties, such as plastic
surgery or vascular surgery, is probably not required for femoral shaft fractures, because
severe open fractures, Gustilo Types IIIB and IIIC, seem to be rare. Based on the epide-
miologic data from this study (I), most of the femoral shaft fractures in this population
can be treated adequately with conventional intramedullary nails, with the stability of
fixation and fracture alignment maintained.

In femoral shaft fractures caused by low energy injuries (II), complications occurred in
nearly two-thirds of our patients, and thus the complication rate associated with these
fractures must be considered high. The failures of fixation resulting in shortenings were
clearly iatrogenic complications, which could have been avoided by using static inter-
locking nailing. In a previous study, 14 patients out of 133 with femoral shaft fractures
suffered a similar loss of postoperative fixation and reduction (Brumback et al. 1988b).
Meticulous preoperative planning of surgical treatment of fatigue fractures is important,
because errors in surgical judgement attributed to inadequate preoperative analysis of the
pattern of the fracture, undetected intraoperative comminution during reaming or inser-
tion of the nail, or postoperative failure to recognize an increase in comminution and
instability of the fracture were noted in that study. Undoubtedly, those conclusions are
valid for the study II as well.

In previous studies, with the high age of the patients, the complication rates recorded
have been slightly lower than in our study. In a study of patients over 65 years of age with
25 subtrochanteric, 47 shaft, and 33 supracondylar femoral fractures, the overall compli-
cation rate was 45% (Boyd and Wilber 1992). In that study, the local complication rate
(wound infection, nonunion, malunion, and implant failure) was found to be 15%. In
another study, 24 patients over 60 years of age with femoral shaft fractures were treated
with locked nailing, and the total complication rate was 54% (Moran, Gibson, Gross
1990). Earlier mortality rates, reported within 30-60 days of injury, have ranged from 10
to 17% (Moran, Gibson, Gross 1990; Boyd and Wilber 1992). These rates approach the
rate of 10% of the study II. Infection after closed intramedullary nailing of the femur has
been previously reported to occur in less than 1% of patients (Winquist, Hansen, Clawson
1984). This is considerably less than the infection rate of 10% in the study II. As for the
infection rate, a local soft-tissue lesion caused by a direct-impact injury seems to be less
important than the compromised general infection resistance among elderly patients with
multiple pre-existing diseases. Such patients could possibly benefit from routine perioper-
ative administration of antibiotic prophylaxis.

105
Despite the low energy nature of the violence, and simple fracture configuration, unin-
fected nonunion and malunion were common in the study II. Some of these complica-
tions could be regarded as iatrogenic. A pre-existing general or local condition weakens
the mechanical strength of the femur and is likely to make the internal fixation of these
fractures technically very demanding. Even with an adequate and accurate preoperative
planning and operative technique, a subsequent nonunion or malunion might be unpre-
ventable among some patients with a low energy femoral shaft fracture.

Compared with the femoral shaft fractures caused by high energy trauma, the fractures
attributable to fatigue osteopathy (III) healed well, despite comminution, with a median
union time of 3.5 months. No delayed unions or nonunions occurred. In comparison, in
a recent prospective series including 83 patients with trauma treated by reamed intramed-
ullary femoral nailing, the fractures united within 3.8 months, the average time to union
being 2.7 months (Tornetta and Tiburzi 2000). The frequency of local complications,
including infection, mechanical failure, delayed union, uninfected nonunion, refracture,
or simple malunion, has been 20% in traumatic femoral shaft fractures of young patients
(Bstman et al. 1989). Overuse injuries present the physician a number of challenges: to
determine the diagnosis, and etiology of the injury to judge the most suitable treatment,
and to ensure that the fracture does not recur (Brukner, Bennell, Matheson 1999).

In the study IV, the nonunion rate of femoral shaft fractures treated with intramedullary
nailing was 12.6% (IV). When compared with this, the complication rate seems, not
unexpectedly, to be lower in fatigue fractures (III).

More than one tenth of the patients of the study IV required additional surgery for failed
consolidation. The incidence of this complication was noteworthy. Two prior studies on
femoral shaft fractures also reported a nonunion rate as high as 10 percent (Kempf,
Grosse, Beck 1985; Hanks, Foster, Gardea 1988), with one study even as high as 13.6
percent (Eid and Deif 1980). In contrast, some authors have reported considerably lower
nonunion rates, such as 0.9 percent in 520 patients with unlocked intramedullary nails
(Winquist, Hansen, Clawson 1984), and 2 percent in three separate studies with 283
patients (Klemm and Brner 1986), 112 patients (Wiss et al. 1986), and eighty-four pa-
tients (Brumback et al. 1988b) having comminuted fractures that were treated by inter-
locking nailing. In a recent prospective series including eighty-three patients treated by
reamed femoral nailing, all fractures united within 115 days, the average time to union
being eighty days (Tornetta and Tiburzi 2000). The incidence seems to be lowest in
specialized units maintaining a strict and uniform management regimen.

The occurrence of technical faults during primary nailing can, in part, be explained by the
nature of the teaching hospital. Most of the operations were performed by senior resi-
dents, some of whom were still in the beginning of their learning curve for the more
demanding intramedullary nailings. Avoidance of increased comminution during intramed-
ullary nailing as well as static interlocking in diastasis should be pointed out in the training
of junior residents. A previous report also paid attention to the adverse effect of opening
the fracture site during the nailing procedure (Rokkanen, Sltis, Vankka 1969). In con-
trast to several earlier reports (Curylo and Lindsey 1994; Kelly 1984; Klemm and Brner

106
1986), infection did not play an important role in the development of nonunion in the
study IV.

In the epidemiologic study on 201 fractures (I), Type B1 fractures, which represent the
fractures with a large butterfly fragment, amounted to 10.5 percent. In the study IV, a
large butterfly fragment was present in 34 percent of the nonunions. This seems to
indicate a significant role of large butterfly fragments and a possible concomitant muscle
interposition in the development of failed union. In the study IV, due to the designation of
the hospital as a referral center for the catchment area, no patients were missing from the
follow-up, and the development of truly recalcitrant nonunions was avoided as well.

The time interval between the primary nailing procedure and the correct identification of
a disturbance in the union process showed unexpected variation. In several cases, espe-
cially in those with broken intramedullary nails, the delay before operative procedures
were undertaken was unacceptably long. Expectancy is seldom warranted when a diag-
nosis of failed consolidation has been made. The problems associated with broken nails
and the importance of avoiding nail breakages have been stressed by some previous
authors, too (Bucholz, Ross, Lawrence 1987; Franklin et al. 1988). The conventional
division of the radiographic appearance of nonunion into atrophic and hypertrophic did
not seem to offer any value in the femoral shaft fractures after intramedullary nailing.

One third of the cases of the study IV required two or three reoperations before union
could be achieved. It is difficult to compare this finding to prior documentation with
varying initial treatment of patients, including those with fractures of the subtrochanteric
and supracondylar regions of the femur, or even fixation of osteotomies and tibial frac-
tures (Christensen 1970; Solheim and Vaage 1973; Oh et al. 1975; Okhotsky and Sou-
valyan 1978; Kempf, Grosse, Rigaut 1986; Webb, Winquist, Hansen 1986; Wu and Shih
1992; Curylo and Lindsey 1994; Cove et al. 1997; Ring, Barrick, Jupiter 1997; Kempf and
Leung 2002). Nonunion after plate fixation requires a different policy of treatment of
failed consolidation, because direct surgery on the fracture site is necessary for removal
of the hardware (Webb, Winquist, Hansen 1986; Bstman et al. 1989). In light of the
results of the study IV, autogenous bone grafting from the iliac crest to the fracture site
without any additional measures, such as exchange intramedullary nailing or dynamiza-
tion, seemed to be useless, whereas exchange intramedullary nailing was an effective
method without any serious complications. Bony consolidation was likewise accomplished
by dynamization, without a need for additional reoperations, in cases where the fracture
gap was the principal problem. However, according to a previous report, significant axial
femoral shortening may result from dynamization (Wu 1997). The findings of the study
IV confirmed the practical value of the previously presented concept of exchange nailing
without supplemental external bone grafting as the preferred treatment method of femoral
diaphyseal nonunion (Christensen 1970; Wu and Chen 1997; Furlong et al. 1999; Wu and
Chen 2002; Yu, Wu , Chen 2002). Nevertheless, in a recent series of nineteen patients
with ununited femoral shaft fracture treated by exchange nailing, nine required one or
more additional procedures before solid union was achieved, and no factors of predictive
value could be identified (Weresh et al. 2000). Classifying nonunions into atrophic and
hypertrophic was not applicable to consolidation failures after intramedullary nailing.

107
6.6. Prevention of femoral shaft fractures
Preventive measures against femoral shaft fractures should focus on the active and pas-
sive protection of automobile drivers, especially young men (I), and on the prevention
and treatment of osteoporosis in elderly women (I, II).

Displacement is a rare, undesirable consequence of fatigue osteopathy of the femoral

shaft among young conscripts during basic military training (III). Internal fixation is
required in all displaced femoral shaft fatigue fractures. Preventive methods should focus
on an early, effective detection of these fatigue fractures to avoid fracture displacement
with a subsequent prolonged morbidity. The conclusions may be applicable beyond the
circumstances of military service, since freetime training has increased among people to
a considerable degree. So far, however, only a few sports-related cases of displaced
femoral shaft fatigue fractures have been reported (Orava 1980; Luchini, Sarokhan, Micheli
1983; Dugowson, Drinkwater, Clark 1990; Clement et al. 1993). The preventive methods
include training appropriate to individual physiology, and early recognition of fatigue oste-
opathy with radiographic, scintigraphic, or preferably MRI examinations. Above all, con-
scripts, even the most ambitious, should be taught to seek medical attention as soon as
symptoms indicative of fatigue osteopathy emerge.

108
7. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS

7.1. Demography of femoral shaft fractures in adults

Based on the data of the epidemiologic study (I), one-third of traumatic fresh femoral
shaft fractures occurred during the third quadrant of the year. The distribution of males
sustaining a femoral shaft fracture at that time was noteworthy. The amount of fresh
femoral shaft fractures in women was highest during the fourth quadrant of the year.
Even if 75% of the femoral shaft fractures were caused by high energy trauma, the
number of low energy fractures was remarkable. The main group sustaining high energy
trauma were automobile drivers in road traffic accidents. The occurrence of concomitant
injuries was, expectedly, related to high energy trauma, whereas no significant associated
injuries were seen in patients with a low energy femoral shaft fracture. The most com-
mon cause of a diaphyseal fracture in the elderly was low energy trauma. This observa-
tion together with the excess of female patients indicates that osteoporosis can be a major
causative factor among the older age group. Femoral shaft fractures caused by low
energy violence mainly occur in patients suffering from a chronic disease or a condition
causing osteopenia of the femur. The study (I) showed that the patients with spiral frac-
tures were older than those with other types of fractures.

With regard to their incidence features, femoral shaft fractures caused by different injury
mechanisms vary (I, II, III). The study of femoral shaft fractures caused by low energy
injuries (II) showed that spiral fractures are typical low energy injuries. Summarizing the
results of the study II, it appears that a fracture of the femoral shaft is only seldom
caused by low energy trauma without some predisposing factor that has weakened the
mechanical strength of the bone. The incidence of traumatic fractures of the adult femo-
ral diaphysis was 9.9:100 000 person-years, with higher age- and gender-specific inci-
dences among young men aged 15 to 24 years and elderly women 75 years old or older
(I). The incidence of femoral shaft fractures caused by low energy injuries was 2.5:100
000 person-years, and was higher for people aged 60 years or older (II). The incidence in
conscripts to sustain a displaced femoral shaft fatigue fracture was 1.5:100 000 person-
years in military service (III).

Displacement of a femoral shaft fatigue fracture can occur even without preceding symp-
toms. Despite unclear knee or thigh pain for 1 to 6 weeks, femoral shaft fatigue fractures
in otherwise healthy conscripts were diagnosed only after fracture displacement.

7.2. Morphology of femoral shaft fractures in adults

The study of femoral shaft fractures caused by low energy injuries (II) showed that
spiral fractures are typical low energy injuries. Summarizing the results of the study II, it
seems that a fracture of the femoral shaft is only seldom caused by low energy trauma
without some predisposing factor that has weakened the mechanical strength of the bone.

109
Regarding the morphologic features, femoral shaft fractures caused by different injury
mechanisms vary (I, II, III). Most traumatic femoral shaft fractures were isolated with-
out concomitant injuries (I). The most common traumatic fracture type of the femoral
shaft was a simple AO Type A, non-comminuted, purely transverse, and located in the
middle third of the femur (I). The patients with spiral fractures and with fractures located
in the distal third of the femoral shaft were older than those with other types of fractures
(I). The most common fracture pattern related to low energy trauma was a simple AO
Type A spiral fracture, with minimal or no comminution, in the middle third of the femoral
shaft (II). Femoral shaft fractures caused by low energy trauma were morphologically
different from displaced fatigue fractures, which were mainly of simple AO Type A,
noncomminuted oblique, or oblique-transverse, located in the distal third of the femoral
shaft (III). A displaced fatigue fracture of the femoral diaphysis can be primarily commi-
nuted (III).

7.3. Treatment of femoral shaft fractures in adults, and nonunions after

intramedullary nailing
Based on the data from the epidemiologic study (I), most of the femoral shaft fractures in
the community can be treated adequately with conventional intramedullary nails rather
than interlocking nails, with the stability of fixation and fracture alignment maintained.

The complication rate in fractures caused by low energy trauma is high (II). The treat-
ment of these seemingly simple fractures requires careful planning and a meticulous
operative technique (II).

Factors that predispose traumatic fresh femoral shaft fractures to nonunion after in-
tramedullary nailing are related to severe fracture comminution and concomitant injuries.
Without convincing signs of progressive consolidation of a femoral shaft fracture, reop-
eration should be performed within six months of the primary nailing to minimize the risk
of nail breakage. Exchange nailing seems to be the method of choice for the treatment of
a disturbed union. In some selected cases with primary static interlocking nailing, dy-
namization alone can be considered. Bone grafting alone as a treatment of a failed union of
a femoral shaft fracture cannot be recommended (IV).

7.4. Prevention of femoral shaft fractures in adults

Based on the data of the epidemiologic study (I), preventive measures against femoral
shaft fractures should generally focus on the protection of automobile drivers, especially
young men, and on the effective treatment of osteoporosis in elderly women.

Furthermore, preventive methods should focus on an early, effective detection of fatigue

fractures to avoid fracture displacement with subsequent prolonged morbidity, including
training appropriate to individual physiology, and early recognition of fatigue osteopathy
with radiographic, MRI, and scintigraphic examinations. Above all, conscripts, even the
most ambitious, should be taught to seek medical attention as soon as symptoms indica-
tive of fatigue osteopathy emerge.

110
On the basis of the present results, the following conclusions can be drawn:

Femoral shaft fractures in adults are not exclusively results of high energy trauma. Low
energy trauma causes 25% of the fractures (I). Femoral shaft fractures caused by low
energy mechanism mainly occur in patients suffering from a chronic disease or a condi-
tion causing osteopenia of the femur (II). Concerning displaced femoral shaft fatigue
fractures, even in symptomatic fractures, the diagnosis was delayed until displacement,
which can also occur without preceding symptoms (III).

With regard to their incidence and morphologic features, femoral shaft fractures caused
by different injury mechanisms vary (I, II, III). The incidence of traumatic fractures of
the adult femoral diaphysis was 9.9:100 000 person-years, with higher age- and gender-
specific incidences among young men aged 15 to 24 years and elderly women 75 years
old or older (I). The incidence of femoral shaft fractures caused by low energy injuries
was 2.5:100 000 person-years, and was higher for people aged 60 years or older (II). The
incidence in conscripts to sustain a displaced femoral shaft fatigue fracture was 1.5:100
000 person-years in military service (III).

Most traumatic femoral shaft fractures are isolated without concomitant injuries (I). The
most common fracture type of the femoral shaft is a non-comminuted simple AO Type A,
most of which in traumatic fractures are purely transverse and located in the middle third
of the femur (I), in fractures related to low energy trauma spiral in the middle third of the
femur (II), and in displaced fatigue fractures oblique or oblique-transverse located in the
distal third of the femoral shaft (III). In traumatic fractures, the patients with spiral
fractures, and with fractures located in the distal third of the femoral shaft, are older than
those with other types of fractures (I). Femoral shaft fractures caused by low energy
trauma are morphologically different from displaced fatigue fractures, which can also be
primarily comminuted (III).

Despite the low energy mechanism and seemingly simple morphology of fractures, treat-
ment of femoral shaft fractures caused by low energy trauma is not devoid of complica-
tions, and requires careful planning and a meticulous operative technique (II). In dis-
placed femoral shaft fatigue fractures, gentle handling of the bone during the fracture
fixation is imperative due to the extraordinary brittleness of the fracture fragments (III).
Despite the additional comminution intraoperatively, the complication rate seems to be
low (III).

Preventive methods against traumatic femoral shaft fractures should be focused on the
protection of automobile drivers, especially young men, and on preventing low energy
injuries in elderly women (I, II). Preventive methods against femoral shaft fatigue frac-
tures should focus on an early, effective detection of these fractures to avoid fracture
displacement with a subsequent prolonged morbidity (III).

Factors that predispose traumatic fresh femoral shaft fractures to nonunion after in-
tramedullary nailing are related to severe fracture comminution and concomitant injuries.
Without convincing signs of consolidation in progress among traumatic femoral shaft

111
fractures treated with intramedullary nailing, reoperation should be performed within six
months after primary nailing to minimize the risk of nail breakage. Exchange nailing seems
to be the method of choice for the treatment of a disturbed union. In some selected cases,
with primary static interlocking nailing, dynamization alone can be considered. Bone grafting
alone as a treatment of a failed union of a femoral shaft fracture cannot be recommended
(IV).

112
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The present study was carried out at the Department of Surgery of the Central Hospital of
Central Finland; the Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology of the Helsinki Uni-
versity Central Hospital, and at the Research Institute of Military Medicine, Central Mili-
tary Hospital.

I wish to express my gratitude to Professor Seppo Santavirta, Department of Orthopae-

dics and Traumatology, and Professor Risto Rintala, Department of Pediatric Surgery,
providing both good facilities and the opportunity to focus on research.

I am most grateful to my supervisors, Docent Ole Bstman, M.D., Ph.D., and Docent
Harri Pihlajamki, M.D., Ph.D., for first introducing this study to me and then guiding me
through this research project. I express my sincere gratitude for their valuable advice
during the entire work process.

I express my warmest thanks for Docent Tuomo Visuri, M.D., Ph.D. for his valuable
cooperation and his expertise in fatigue fractures.

I am deeply grateful for Veikko Avikainen, M.D., Ph.D, the former Head of the Depart-
ment of Orthopaedics and Traumatology of the Central Hospital of Central Finland, who
also provided facilities for research and encouraged me in this research study. Further-
more, my best thanks are due to my coauthor, Antti Kyr, M.D., Ph.D. for his support
during the study.

I wish to express my warmest thanks for the official reviewers of the thesis, Professor
Erkki Tukiainen, M.D., Ph.D. and Docent Matti U.K. Lehto, M.D., Ph.D. for their valu-
able comments and constructive criticism on the manuscript.

I also want to thank Docent Eero Hirvensalo, M.D., Ph.D., Department of Orthopaedics
and Traumatology, and Docent Harry Lindahl, M.D., Ph.D., Department of Pediatric
Surgery, for the help received from the hospital organization for research. I am also
grateful to Docent Matti Mntysaari, M.D., Ph.D., the Head of the Research Institute of
Military Medicine, for the possibility to use the research facilities of the Institute.

I am thankful to Pentti Kallio, M.D., Ph.D., and Docent Jari Peltonen, M.D., Ph.D., my
superiors at the Department of Pediatric Orthopaedics of the Hospital for Children and
Adolescents, for their encouragement for the completion of the study.

I also wish to thank all my colleagues during these years at the Department of Surgery of
the Central Hospital of Central Finland, at the Department of Orthopaedics and Trauma-
tology of the Tl Hospital, and at the Department of Pediatric Surgery of the Hospital
for Children and Adolescents. I especially want to give my warmest thanks to my closest
colleagues Pivi Salminen, M.D., Sari Pyrl, M.D., Risto Nikku, M.D., Yrjn Nie-
tosvaara, M.D., Ph.D., Reijo Paukku, M.D., and Ilkka Helenius, M.D., Ph.D. for spur-
ring me on writing.

113
I am deeply grateful to Mrs Marja Vajaranta for revising the English language of this
thesis. I heartily thank Mrs Taina Saarni and Mr Kari Kelho, for their valuable secreterial
help and assistance for the thesis.

This study was supported financially by the Foundation for Orthopaedic and Traumato-
logic Research in Finland, the Scientific Committee of National Defence, and the Bio-
medicum Fonds Helsinki Foundation.

I am most grateful to my mother Julia, and my sister Saija and her family for their
encouragement and patience throughout these years. I warmly thank my friends Pia and
Vincent, Bernd and Ellen, Brbl and Richard, Bettina, Kirsi, Elina, and the members of the
Martha Surgeons for their support and friendship. Without Marja-Liisa, the coach, and
the members of the fencing team I would not have known how to fence through this
study.

Helsinki, June 2005

Sari Salminen

114
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