Double plating with autogenous bone grafting in the treatment of non-union of femoral shaft fractures

Abstract EN

Objective : To assess the outcome of rigid internal fixation with autogenous bone grafting in the management of aseptic non-union of femoral shaft fractures over a period of eleven years.

Methods : Twenty-one cases were studied retrospectively between 1996 and 2007, with minimum follow up of two years.

The procedure was performed using two ordinary rigid rounded holes plates ; broad lateral and narrow anterior plate.

Autogenous iliac bone graft was used in all cases, and in some, intramedullary half fibula graft was added.

Results : All patients achieved initial callus formation on an average of 16 weeks.

Complete clinical and radiological union was achieved on an average of nine months.

There was no failure in implants.

The average lower limb shortening was 0.5 cm.

All wounds healed primarily except one for an iliac wound.

Most patients regained normal range of motion at hip and knee joints after full union.

Conclusion : Double plating and bone grafting is considered as a convenient modality of treatment that requires minimum instrumentation with little expenses, achieving high success rate in the treatment of non-union in long bone fractures.