Abstract
IntroductionIntertrochanteric fractures of the femur are common fractures in the elderly, and management includes operative fixation after patient positioning on the fracture table. Patients with bilateral above-knee amputations are challenging in terms of positioning on the table. We describe a simple technique to overcome this special problem.Case presentationA 75-year-old wheelchair-bound Caucasian man with bilateral above-knee amputations presented to our hospital after a fall. Plain radiographs showed an intertrochanteric fracture of the femur, and operative fixation with a dynamic hip screw was planned. His positioning on the table posed a particular problem, and therefore we developed a technique to overcome this problem.ConclusionPositioning of patients for fixation of intertrochanteric fractures of the femur poses a particular problem that can be solved by using our simple technique.
Highlights
Intertrochanteric fractures of the femur are common fractures in the elderly, and management includes operative fixation after patient positioning on the fracture table
Positioning of patients for fixation of intertrochanteric fractures of the femur poses a particular problem that can be solved by using our simple technique
The dynamic hip screw (DHS) is a common implant used in the fixation of extracapsular fractures of the proximal femur [2]
Summary
Fracture of the neck of the femur is a common indication for admission to trauma units [1]. The dynamic hip screw (DHS) is a common implant used in the fixation of extracapsular fractures of the proximal femur [2] This involves positioning the patient on a fracture table and applying traction and rotation on the legs, after placing the feet in special boots fixed to the table. Case presentation A 75-year-old Caucasian man presented to our hospital after falling from his wheelchair He complained of pain in his right hip, and plain radiographs showed a minimally displaced intertrochanteric fracture of the right femur (Figure 1). He had bilateral above-knee amputations for peripheral vascular disease but no prosthetic limbs, and he was wheelchair bound. If further reduction were necessary, an attempt at closed reduction could have been carried out with direct traction along the thigh stump or by pin traction in the stump if needed, as attachment of any sort of traction device is not possible in such a short above-knee stump
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