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Minimally invasive double-plating osteosynthesis of the distal femur

Minimal-invasive Doppelplattenosteosynthese des distalen Femurs

  • Surgical Techniques
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Operative Orthopädie und Traumatologie Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Objective

Technical description of minimally invasive double-plating of the distal femur.

Indications

Peri- and interprosthetic distal femur fractures with limited (periprosthetic) bone stock in geriatric patients. Re-operations (delayed and non-unions; infected non-unions) of the distal femur. Distal femoral fractures or femoral shaft fractures that do not qualify for femoral nailing and where the patient is unable to comply with weight-bearing restrictions.

Contraindications

Peri- and interprosthetic femoral fractures with unstable knee prosthesis and local soft tissue infection. Peri- and interprosthetic fractures of the proximal femur.

Surgical technique

Supine position on a radiolucent table with both legs draped free. Support the knee to release traction on the distal fragment by the gastrocnemius muscle. Reduction and fixation of the fracture using a minimally invasive lateral approach. To reduce stress riser zones in interprosthetic fractures, the fixation device should overlap both the prosthesis by at least twice the diameter of the femoral diaphysis. Control plate position and reduction with special emphasis on length, rotation and longitudinal axes, using the healthy side as a reference. After sufficient reduction and fixation of the fracture, one proceeds to the medial plate fixation of the femur. Pre- or intraoperative contouring of a narrow large fragment locking compression plate into a helical shaped plate should be performed, using bending irons and a saw bone of a standard femur. The helical shaped plate is introduced submuscular and epiperiosteal in a minimally invasive fashion and fixed with bicortical locking screws.

Postoperative management

Unrestricted weight bearing with walker or crutches under supervision of physiotherapist.

Results

Between 2015 and December 2018, minimally invasive double-plate osteosynthesis using a medial helical shaped plate was performed in 11 patients. In 6 cases it was applied in patients (81 years ± 7 SD) with a supracondylar peri- or interprosthetic femoral fracture. No implant failure or loss of reduction was seen after postoperative unrestricted weight bearing. In the additional 5 cases double-plating was used in salvage procedures ([infected] non-unions, hardware failure). One of these patients developed a fracture-related infection for which all material was removed. The fracture healed after a new attempt of antegrade nailing combined with an additional locking plate. In the remaining patients complete bone healing without hardware failure was seen.

Zusammenfassung

Operationsziel

Technische Beschreibung der minimal-invasiven Doppelplattenosteosynthese des distalen Femurs.

Indikationen

Peri- und interprothetische distale Femurfrakturen mit limitiertem (periprothetischem) Knochensubstrat bei geriatrischen Patienten. Revisionseingriffe (verzögerte Frakturheilung, Pseudarthrose und infizierte Pseudarthrose) am distalen Femur. Distale Femurfrakturen und Femurschaftfrakturen bei Patienten, die eine Teilbelastung nicht einhalten können und bei denen keine Versorgung mittels Marknagelung möglich ist.

Kontraindikationen

Peri- und interprothetische Femurfrakturen mit instabiler Knietotalendoprothese und lokaler Weichteilinfektion. Peri- und interprothetische proximale Femurfrakturen.

Operationstechnik

Rückenlagerung des Patienten auf röntgenstrahlendurchlässigem Tisch; beiden Beine frei gelagert; Rolle unter distalem Femur des frakturierten Beines. Primäre Reposition und Fixation der Fraktur erfolgt über minimal-invasiven lateralen Zugang. Um die Zone erhöhter mechanischer Beanspruchung möglichst zu minimieren muss das Osteosynthesematerial das Prothesenmaterial um mindestens den doppelten Durchmesser der Femurdiaphyse überragen. Kontrolle von Plattenlage und Reposition mit besonderem Augenmerk auf Länge, Rotation und Achse anhand des gesunden Beins. Nach suffizienter Reposition und Fixation der Fraktur erfolgt die mediale Plattenosteosynthese. Prä- oder intraoperatives Vorbiegen einer schmalen winkelstabilen Großfragmentkompressionsplatte in eine Helixform unter Zuhilfenahme von Schränkeisen und eines Standardfemurs aus Kunstknochen. Nun minimal-invasives submuskuläres epiperiostales Einschieben der Helixplatte mit anschließender bikortikaler winkelstabiler Verschraubung.

Weiterbehandlung

Uneingeschränkte Vollbelastung an Unterarmgehhilfen oder am Rollator unter physiotherapeutischer Instruktion.

Ergebnisse

Zwischen 2015 und Dezember 2018 wurde bei 11 Patienten eine minimal-invasive Doppelplattenosteosynthese unter Verwendung einer Helixplatte durchgeführt. In 6 Fällen wurde sie bei Patienten (81 Jahre ± 7 SD) mit einer suprakondylären peri- oder interprothetischen Femurfraktur angewendet. Es trat kein Implantatversagen und kein sekundärer Repositionsverlust bei postoperativer Vollbelastung auf. In 5 weiteren Fällen wurde die Doppelplattenosteosynthese als Revisionseingriff ([infizierte]) Pseudarthrose und Implantatversagen) durchgeführt. Einer dieser Patienten erlitt eine postoperative Infektion mit konsekutiver vollständiger Osteosynthesematerialentfernung. Nach Ausheilung des Infektes erfolgte eine erneute Osteosynthese mittels antegrader Marknagelung und Zusatzplatte, durch welche die Heilung erzielt werden konnte. In den restlichen Fällen konnte die Fraktur komplikationslos ausheilen.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Orthopedic and Trauma Surgery, Luzerner Kantonsspital, Luzern, Switzerland

    Frank J. P. Beeres MD PhD, Kevin Lanter MD, Björn-Christian Link MD & Reto Babst MD

  2. Department of Trauma Surgery, St Antonius Hospital, Utrecht, The Netherlands

    Benjamin L. Emmink MD PhD

Authors
  1. Frank J. P. Beeres MD PhD
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  2. Benjamin L. Emmink MD PhD
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  3. Kevin Lanter MD
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  4. Reto Babst MD
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Frank J. P. Beeres MD PhD.

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Conflict of interest

F.J.P. Beeres, B.L. Emmink, K. Lanter, B.-C. Link and R. Babst declare to have no commercial relations that might pose a conflict of interest in connection with the manuscript. No funding or any other support was received for this study.

Informed oral and written consent was obtained from all patients for the blinded use of their data.

Additional information

Redaktion

U. Bosch, Hannover

Zeichnungen

H. Konopatzki, Heidelberg

Shared first authorship: F.J.P. Beeres and B.L. Emmink

Caption Electronic Supplementary Material

ESM1: Direct postoperative full-weight bearing after double plating of a supracondylar interprosthetic fracture (Su type II). Patient 3 (female, age 78, ASA III, BMI 36) full weight bearing with a single crutch

ESM2: Direct postoperative full-weight bearing after double plating of a supracondylar interprosthetic fracture (Su type II). Patient 4 (female, age 95, ASA III, BMI 30) full weight bearing with a walker

64_2020_664_MOESM3_ESM.pdf

ESM3: Supplemental Fig. 1: Double plating as salvage procedure in (infected) non-unions and after hardware failure. Radiologic control after 13 (±6 SD) months, showing bone healing with no implant failure or loss in reduction

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Beeres, F.J.P., Emmink, B.L., Lanter, K. et al. Minimally invasive double-plating osteosynthesis of the distal femur. Oper Orthop Traumatol 32, 545–558 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00064-020-00664-w

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00064-020-00664-w

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