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Is the Wave Plate Still a Salvage Procedure for Femoral Non-union? Results of 75 Cases Treated with a Locked Wave Plate

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European Journal of Trauma and Emergency Surgery Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Objective:

To analyse the results of the treatment of aseptic femoral non-unions using a singular locked implant.

Design:

Consecutive case series.

Setting:

A level-1 trauma center with a high number of specialist referrals.

Patients:

The study is based on a consecutive series of patients with prospective data evaluation. From 1993 to 2003, 75 patients were treated with a wave plate. All patients had persistent non-union of the femoral shaft without clinical or laboratory signs of infection and previous unsuccessful attempts to treat the non-union.

Intervention:

The method of treatment was standardized and included a lateral approach, cancellous bone hip grafting, osteosynthesis with a wave-shaped plate (PPF) and polyaxial locking screws as well as the application of a gentamicin-PMMA chain.

Main Outcome Measurements:

Time to achieve union, rate of implant failure and number of remaining nonunions after treatment. A total of 75 patients had full follow-up and were included in the study.

Results:

The union of the fracture was found in 64 patients after the initial procedure. In eight cases a second procedure was performed to achieve union in the form of a second bone graft because of a delay in callus formation. The mean time to union was 7.3 months with a range from 3 to 19 months. The implant failed in three cases accounting for 4% of the total.

Conclusion:

The locked wave plate offers a further reliable treatment for complex aseptic femoral non-unions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. BG Trauma Hospital Hamburg, Trauma and Reconstructive Surgery, Hamburg, Germany

    Arndt P. Schulz MD & Christian Jürgens

  2. Department of Musculoskeletal Surgery, University Hospital Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany

    Arndt P. Schulz MD, Maximilian Faschingbauer, Klaus Seide, Uwe Schuemann, Christian Jürgens & Michael Wenzl

  3. Medical Faculty, University Hospital Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany

    Martin Mayer

  4. BG Trauma Hospital, Hamburg Trauma and Reconstructive Surgery, Bergedorfer Strasse 10, 21027, Hamburg, Germany

    Arndt P. Schulz MD

Authors
  1. Arndt P. Schulz MD
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  2. Maximilian Faschingbauer
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  3. Klaus Seide
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  4. Uwe Schuemann
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  5. Martin Mayer
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  6. Christian Jürgens
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  7. Michael Wenzl
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Arndt P. Schulz MD.

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Schulz, A.P., Faschingbauer, M., Seide, K. et al. Is the Wave Plate Still a Salvage Procedure for Femoral Non-union? Results of 75 Cases Treated with a Locked Wave Plate. Eur J Trauma Emerg Surg 35, 127–131 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00068-008-8009-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00068-008-8009-9

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