Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38819290›Full record

ArticleSICOT-J2024

The linked nail/plate construct for the management of distal femur fractures in the elderly.

Georgios Saraglis, Anwar Khan, Amit Sharma, Sagar Pyakurel, Sayed Fazal Elahi Rabbani, Mohamed Shawky Abdelhamid Arafa

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in SICOT-J, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Clinical outcomes of far cortical locking constructs in distal femur fractures: a systematic review and meta-analysis.European journal of orthopaedic surgery & traumatology : orthopedie traumatologie · 2025
    Pooled it
  2. Increased screw backout with non-inlay design retrograde femoral nails.European journal of orthopaedic surgery & traumatology : orthopedie traumatologie · 2026
    Article
  3. Review
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Osteoporotic Distal Femur Fractures: An Overview.Indian journal of orthopaedics · 2025
    Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Georgios SaraglisDepartment of Trauma and Orthopaedics, Bedfordshire NHS Foundation Trust, Bedford Hospital, South Wing, Kempston Road, Bedford MK429DJ, United Kingdom.ORCID 0000-0001-5916-9183
Anwar KhanDepartment of Trauma and Orthopaedics, Bedfordshire NHS Foundation Trust, Bedford Hospital, South Wing, Kempston Road, Bedford MK429DJ, United Kingdom.
Amit SharmaDepartment of Trauma and Orthopaedics, Bedfordshire NHS Foundation Trust, Bedford Hospital, South Wing, Kempston Road, Bedford MK429DJ, United Kingdom.
Sagar PyakurelDepartment of Trauma and Orthopaedics, Bedfordshire NHS Foundation Trust, Bedford Hospital, South Wing, Kempston Road, Bedford MK429DJ, United Kingdom.
Sayed Fazal Elahi RabbaniDepartment of Trauma and Orthopaedics, Bedfordshire NHS Foundation Trust, Bedford Hospital, South Wing, Kempston Road, Bedford MK429DJ, United Kingdom.
Mohamed Shawky Abdelhamid ArafaDepartment of Trauma and Orthopaedics, Bedfordshire NHS Foundation Trust, Bedford Hospital, South Wing, Kempston Road, Bedford MK429DJ, United Kingdom.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundDistal femoral fractures represent a challenging injury, with many different factors such as the method of fixation, complexity of fracture pattern, and patient co-morbidities affecting the outcome. Lots of surgical treatment options have been described, but recently double construct fixation, using a nail/plate combination, has received lots of attention, a technique that leads to faster weight-bearing, low risk of metalwork failure, and non-union. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of the linked nail/plate construct in the management of complex distal femur fractures and to investigate if the above technique leads to faster recovery and earlier radiographic union. MATERIALS AND

methodsIn total 15 cases were included in the study, that underwent a combined nail/plate construct for a distal femur fracture between January 2021 and December 2022. Only cases with a linked nail/plate construct were included, with a minimum follow-up of 1 year. Open femur fractures, single implant fixation cases, and revision procedures were excluded.

resultsIn this cohort study, 11 cases were periprosthetic distal femur features, and 4 cases were distal femur fractures around a native knee joint. The mean age group was 74 years, 86.6% of the patients had a BMI > 25 and the mean time to fracture union was 24 weeks (range from 20 to 26 weeks). All cases healed uneventfully and the complication rate was 6.6%, including 1 case of superficial infection which resolved completely with oral antibiotics.

conclusionThe increasing age population, the complexity of distal femoral fractures along with the increasing physiological demands of the elderly population, drive the need for double fixation constructs that allow early mobilization and enhance fracture stability. In our study, the linked nail/plate construct seems to provide adequate stability and excellent union rates (100%) with no associated increased risk of complications.

Indexed as

Augmented fixationDistal femur fracturesDouble fixationNail/plate fixation

Identifiers

PMID38819290
PMCPMC11141519

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.