Pattern and Outcome of Femoral Fractures Treated in a Regional Trauma Centre in South South, Nigeria

Abstract

Majority of the patients particularly adults were treated by operative method including open reduction and internal fixation with intramedullary nails (629, 47.2%), plates and screws (206, 15.4%), and K-wires (18, 1.3%), external fixation (176, 13.2%) and amputations (n = 5, 0.4%). Non-operative treatments included casting with Plaster of Paris (136, 10.2%) and Traction (135, 10.1%). Majority of the fractures (1113, 83.7%) had attained significant union at six months post-injury to allow for a significant return of function (COST Score 70% and above) in 1035 (77.1%) of cases. Seventy-two (5.4%) cases of post-treatment infection were recorded with the infection rates highest in the open fractures grade IIIA (n =30/10, 27.5%) to grade IIIC (n = 4/8, 50%).