ArticleEuropean journal of orthopaedic surgery & traumatology : orthopedie traumatologie2026
Impact of limited intramedullary reaming versus unreamed technique in short proximal femoral nail anti-rotation for intertrochanteric fractures: a matched retrospective study.
Article in European journal of orthopaedic surgery & traumatology : orthopedie traumatologie, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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.
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.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
purposeShort proximal femoral nail antirotation (PFNA) fixation is commonly performed for intertrochanteric fractures and is typically inserted without reaming. However, limited reaming may be required in cases of a narrow femoral canal, severe femoral bowing, or inadvertent selection of an oversized nail. Unlike long nails, reaming for short PFNA is confined to the isthmus, and its effects have not been well described. This study aimed to evaluate the association between limited reaming during short PFNA fixation and clinical outcomes.
methodsWe conducted a retrospective matched cohort study of patients aged ≥ 65 years who underwent short PFNA fixation for intertrochanteric fractures at a university-affiliated tertiary care center between January 2020 and August 2025. Patients were matched in a 1:3 ratio (limited reamed vs. unreamed) by age, sex, body mass index, ASA classification, and OTA/AO fracture type. Operative variables, perioperative hematologic parameters, transfusion requirements, length of hospital stay (LOS), radiographic fracture healing time, mortality, and postoperative complications were compared.
resultsA total of 30 limited reamed and 90 unreamed patients were analyzed, with comparable baseline characteristics. The limited reamed group had a longer operative time (98.2 ± 27.9 vs. 80.0 ± 23.7 min; P = 0.001) and greater intraoperative blood loss (232.3 ± 143.5 vs. 169.2 ± 102.2 mL; P = 0.03). There were no differences in nail diameter, hematocrit decline, total transfusion volume, LOS, fracture healing time, mortality rate, or complications rate between the two groups (all P > 0.05). Follow-up beyond 3 months was 86.7%, and mean follow-up duration was comparable between groups.
conclusionsThe unreamed technique should be considered the preferred approach in most cases of short proximal femoral nail antirotation fixation. Limited canal reaming was associated with longer operative time and greater intraoperative blood loss. Therefore, limited reaming should be reserved for situations in which it is necessary to facilitate safe nail insertion, such as in patients with challenging canal anatomy or when an oversized nail is inadvertently selected. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic Level III.
Indexed as
Identifiers
42371224What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
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.