Operative treatment of subtrochanteric fractures.

Sixty-four patients with subtrochanteric fractures of the femur treated with internal fixation are reviewed. Twenty-six patients treated with Jewett nails are compared to 23 patients treated with Zickel nails. Total length of hospital stay, time to union, and time to full weightbearing were similar between the two groups. Six patients treated with Jewett nails had loss of fixation or failure of union, compared to only one patient in the Zickel nail group. The comminuted subtrochantericfracture adjacent to the lesser trochanter was frequently associated with complications in the elderly patient. Copyright 2013, SLACK Incorporated.