Abstract
The most commonly used approach to expose the entire femur is the postero-lateral approach. This approach does not interfere with the quadriceps muscle, following the lateral intermuscular septum. All the other approaches penetrate more or less elements of the quadriceps and may lead to post-operative muscular adhesions and functional impairment. If a medial approach to the femur or a primary control of the femoral vessels may be necessary for limited indications oincomplex trauma lesions, tumour resection or reconstructive surgery, the postero-medial approach allows the exposure of the medial aspect of the femur from the adductor tubercule to the lesser trochanter. The posterior approach is of major interest to explore the sciatic nerve and for patients who cannot undergo other approaches because of skin problems.
There is today a resurgence of interest in the true lateral approach when using mini-invasive per-cutaneous techniques of fracture fixation.
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Féron, JM., Cherrier, B., Signoret, F. (2014). Surgical Approaches to the Femur. In: Bentley, G. (eds) European Surgical Orthopaedics and Traumatology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-34746-7_83
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-34746-7_83
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