J Korean Fract Soc JKFS Journal of the Korean Fracture Society 1225-1682 The Korean Fracture Society 10.12671/jkfs.2010.23.3.282 Original Article Treatment of Femur Supracondylar Fracture with Locking Compression Plate Bae Seong Ho M.D. Cha Seung Han M.D. Suh Jeung Tak M.D. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Pusan National University School of Medicine, Busan, Korea. Address reprint requests to: Jeung Tak Suh, M.D. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Pusan National University School of Medicine, 1-10, Ami-dong 1-ga, Seo-gu, Busan 602-739, Korea. Tel: 82-51-240-7248, Fax: 82-51-247-8395, jtsuh@pusan.ac.kr 07 2010 31 07 2010 23 3 282 288 30 12 2009 23 02 2010 16 06 2010 Copyright © 2010 The Korean Fracture Society 2010

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

 Purpose

To evaluate the effectiveness of locking compression plate by analyzing the clinical outcomes of open reduction and internal fixation with locking compression plate in the treatment of femur supracondylar fracture.

 Materials and Methods

We reviewed 21 cases of distal femur fractures which were treated with locking compression plate in our hospital from February 2005 to March 2009 and followed up for minimal 1 year. The types of fractures were seven A1, four A2, two A3, six C2, and two C3 according to AO classification. 2 cases were open fractures. The cases were evaluated by the criteria of Schatzker-Lambert.

 Results

The mean time to union was 14.3 weeks. One delayed union, one refracture were observed, but no nonunion and postoperative infection was observed. The outcomes were excellent in 6 cases, good in 11, fair in 3, and failure in 1 by the criteria of Schatzker-Lambert. The overall results were excellent or good in 17 cases (81.0%).

 Conclusion

In the treatment of femur supracondylar fracture, open reduction and internal fixation with locking compression plate yields good result and locking compression plate is useful choice of fixation option.

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(A) Preoperative radiograph of 41-year-old male shows type C2 fracture and patellar fracture.

(B) The radiograph at 3 months after operation shows the union.

(C) The radiograph at 1 year after operation shows refracture by traffic accident.

(D) The radiograph at 1 year after refracture shows the good result.

Summary of patient demographics, injury and fracture types, and outcomes

TA: Traffic accident.

The clinical outcomes of the Schatzker and Lambert assessment