Locked Nails in Supracondylar Femoral Fractures. Study at Calixto García Hospital, 2022-2024
Keywords:
supracondylar femur fracture; locked nails; retrograde intramedullary nailing; orthopedic trauma; surgical complicationsAbstract
Introduction: Supracondylar femur fractures represent a significant orthopedic problem due to their high incidence, impact on quality of life, and association with polytrauma and severe injuries. Treatment with retrograde locked nails is a dynamic technique increasingly used to optimize functional recovery.
Objective: To describe the epidemiological, clinical, and outcome characteristics of patients with supracondylar femur fractures treated with retrograde locked nails.
Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional study including 80 patients with extra-articular supracondylar femur fractures treated at Calixto García Hospital between 2022 and 2024. Demographic variables, fracture type (according to AO classification), trauma mechanism, associated injuries, complications, hospital stay, and discharge status were analyzed. Data were collected from medical records and processed with IBM SPSS v.21.
Results: Patients aged 30-39 years predominated (30%), as did males (76.3%). Type 33-A3 fractures were most frequent (47.5%), followed by 33-A1 (31.3%). The most common trauma mechanisms were motorcycle accidents (50%) and pedestrian accidents (26.2%). The most frequent associated injuries were abdominal (35.8%), thoracic (31%), and head/neck (23.8%). Immediate complications were present in 83.6% of cases. Most patients were hospitalized for 3 to 7 days (73.7%). Mortality was 10%.
Conclusions: In the serie, males of working age predominated with supracondylar fractures mainly caused by traffic accidents. Although complications were common, most patients had a favorable progression, demonstrating the efficacy and relevance of the method.
Keywords: supracondylar femur fracture; locked nails; retrograde intramedullary nailing; orthopedic trauma; surgical complications.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Dayron García Duharte, Juliette Massip Nicot, Víctor Valdés, Mely di Carla Otero Molina
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