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Effect of Additional Medial Locking Plate Fixation and Autogenous Bone Graft for Distal Femur Nonunion after Lateral Locking Plate Fixation
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Ho Min Lee, Jong Pil Kim, In Hwa Baek, Han Sol Moon, Sun Kyo Nam
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J Korean Fract Soc 2024;37(1):30-38. Published online January 31, 2024
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.12671/jkfs.2024.37.1.30
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 Abstract
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- Purpose
This study examined the outcomes of additional medial locking plate fixation and autogenous bone grafting in the treatment of nonunions that occurred after initial fixation for distal femoral fractures using lateral locking plates.
Materials and Methods
The study involved eleven patients who initially underwent minimally invasive lateral locking plate fixation for distal femoral fractures between January 2008 and December 2020. The initial procedure was followed by additional medial locking plate fixation and autogenous bone grafting for clinically and radiographically confirmed nonunions, while leaving the stable lateral locking plate in situ. A clinical evaluation of the bone union time, knee joint range of motion, visual analog scale (VAS) pain scores, presence of postoperative complications, and functional evaluations using the lower extremity functional scale (LEFS) were performed.
Results
In all cases, bone union was achieved in an average of 6.1 months after the secondary surgery. The range of knee joint motion, weight-bearing ability, and VAS and LEFS scores improved at the final follow-up compared to the preoperative conditions. All patients could walk without walking assistive devices and did not experience pain at the fracture site. On the other hand, three patients complained of pain in the lateral knee joint caused by irritation by the lateral locking plate; hence, lateral hardware removal was performed. One patient complained of mild paresthesia at the anteromedial incision site.
Severe complications, such as deep infection or metal failure, were not observed.
Conclusion
For nonunion with stable lateral locking plates after minimally invasive lateral locking plate fixation of distal femur fractures, additional medial locking plate fixation and autogenous bone grafting, while leaving the lateral locking plate intact, can achieve successful bone union.
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