Supracondylar-intercondylar fractures of the femur treated with a supracondylar plate and lag screw.

Abstract

Twenty-six patients ranging from nineteen to ninety-two years old underwent rigid internal fixation of supracondylar-intercondylar fractures of the distal end of the femur, using a supracondylar plate and lag screw to achieve two-plane fixation. The congruity of the articular surface of the knee was anatomically restored, as were the mechanical and anatomical axes of the lower extremity. The time to clinical and roentgenographic union averaged four months. There were no non-unions or postoperative infections. The average postoperative range of motion of the knee was 120 degrees. The average length of follow-up was twenty-one months. This series demonstrates the advantages of stable internal fixation using a supracondylar plate and lag screw over other types of fixation.