Orthopedic implants and fixation principles
Orthopedics · MBBS
Study notes
A femoral shaft fracture — intramedullary nail; load-sharing, early walking. Implants: plates (DCP — rigid — periosteal stripping; LCP — locking — osteoporotic; screws — cortical, cancellous, lag — compression), intramedullary nails (femur/tibia shaft — load-sharing — reamed/unreamed — early weight-bearing), external fixator (open fractures — damage control — spanning; Ilizarov — deformity/lengthening), tension band (patella, olecranon — converts distraction to compression), DHS/PFN (hip trochanteric), arthroplasty (THR/TKR — end-stage arthritis — cemented/uncemented). Principles — anatomical reduction, stable fixation, preserve biology, early mobilization. The nail shares load — the plate shields it.
Related topics
- Fracture basics: classification, healing, principles of management
- Fracture basics: open fractures, compartment syndrome, fat embolism
- Upper limb fractures: clavicle, humerus, forearm, Colles', hand injuries
- Lower limb fractures: hip fractures, femoral shaft, tibial, ankle
- Spinal injuries: cervical, thoracolumbar, disc prolapse, sciatica
- Dislocations: shoulder, elbow, hip