Treating Femoral Fractures With Limited Resources

Main Category: Bones / Orthopaedics
Article Date: 06 Jan 2009 - 5:00 PST

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An article published in The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, British Volume demonstrates that in cases where resources are limited and there is a delay from injury to treatment, femoral fractures can heal successfully without stabilisation by external or internal fixation.

The research was based on treatment of patients at a Red Cross Hospital in Kenya where injuries consisted of bullet wounds caused during the current conflict in neighbouring Sudan and therefore there was over 24 hours between injury and treatment owing to the long distances involved and lack of available transport. In current practice it is believed that these wounds must be treated without delay, despite the fact that recent reports have shown that delays up to 24 hours do not affect the outcome.

While the authors do not advocate delaying treatment, of the 52 patients treated for ballistic fractures of the femur three required amputation for persisting infection. 48 of the fractures healed, with 15 patients mobilised early requiring only plaster protection acting as a simple form of functional brace.

With the advances in fractures techniques, methods such as traction and plaster have come to be seen as inadequate, however, the study shows that femoral fractures can heal in times when resources are limited, such as in less developed countries.

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Notes

- The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery - British Volume is a world leading orthopaedics journal with an Impact Factor of 1.868
- JBJS-Br publishes twelve issues a year of high-quality, peer-reviewed research, overseen by an international editorial board led by Editor James Scott
- The Journal was first published in 1948 by The British Editorial Society of Bone and Joint Surgery, a registered charity (No. 209299), with the object of the advancement and improvement of education in orthopaedic surgery and allied branches of surgery and the diffusion of knowledge of new and improved methods of teaching and practicing orthopaedic surgery in all its branches
- You can find out more about The Journal at http://www.jbjs.org.uk

Source
Becky Hall
The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery - British Volume