Article
Knee Pain and Leg-Length Discrepancy After Retrograde Femoral Nailing
Am J Orthop. 2007 June;36(6):325-328
Author and Disclosure Information
Ricardo Reina, MD, Fernando E. Vilella, MD, Norman Ramírez, MD, Richard Valenzuela, MD, Gil Nieves, MD, and Christian A. Foy, MD
Dr. Reina is in private practice, San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Dr. Vilella is Third-Year Resident, Dr. Ramírez is Director of Research, Dr. Valenzuela and Dr. Nieves are First-Year Residents, and Dr. Foy is Research Fellow, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico.
We retrospectively studied postoperative knee function and leg-length discrepancy (LLD) in 31 patients with femoral diaphyseal fractures treated with retrograde intramedullary nailing (IMN) between October 1998 and April 2000. Mean follow-up was 25 months, mean knee range of motion was 126°, mean Hospital for Special Surgery knee scores were 89.2 (pain) and 78.3 (function), and mean LLD was 1.19 cm. Despite the theoretically higher knee pain and LLD rates associated with retrograde IMN, we believe it may offer a viable treatment option when the antegrade nailing technique is restricted.