Orthopedics
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Case Reports
Use of the F-Tool for the removal of a bent intramedullary femoral nail with a sagittal plane deformity.
Locked intramedullary nailing is the current standard of treatment for femoral shaft fractures and has low complication rates. Bent femoral intramedullary nails resulting from secondary trauma are rare and technically challenging. This article describes a case of a 36-year-old man who presented with a bent femoral intramedullary nail following a motorcross accident. ⋯ We then used the F-Tool to straighten the nail to facilitate removal through the original proximal insertion site. The F-Tool allows forces to be concentrated at the apex of the deformity and minimizes soft tissue damage. Additional advantages of our technique include limited exposure and the ability to remove the nail in 1 piece.
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The purpose of this study was to examine the acute outcomes and mortality rates of an Advanced Trauma Life Support guideline approach for managing hemodynamically unstable pelvic ring injuries. We retrospectively reviewed the acute outcomes of 48 consecutive patients with hemodynamically unstable pelvic fractures. Patients underwent treatment via the advanced trauma life support protocol, with primary angiography based on trauma surgeon preference. ⋯ Mean time to angiography was 3 hours and 55 minutes (range, 2-19 hours). Twenty patients died during hospitalization, with an overall mortality rate of 41.7%; 13 (27.1%) of them died within 24 hours. Advanced Trauma Life Support guidelines with angiography are not adequate for the management of hemodynamically unstable pelvic ring injuries and result in unacceptably high mortality rates compared with more specific approaches using transfusion protocols and interventions, such as pelvic packing.