Management of femur shaft fracture with close locked intramedullary nailing: comparison of Variwall and predrilled Kuntscher nail.

A prospective and comparative study of 44 cases of close locked static intramedullary (IM) nailing of Femur shaft fracture with two nailing systems was done. Comparing the cheap predrilled Kuntscher nail with standard but expensive Variwall nail of Biomet Company England, we found almost equal result in both groups regarding complications and healing of the fracture. Average healing time in Variwall and Kuntscher nailing were 16.4 and 16.1 weeks respectively, P value being in-significant. In Variwall nailing, stable fractures healed at the average of 13.5 weeks and unstable fractures at 17.2 weeks; open fractures at 18.4 weeks and close ones at 14.2 weeks; fractures due to Road Traffic Accident (RTA) at 16.3 weeks, gunshot injury at 18.6 weeks and fractures due to fall at 14 weeks. Similarly in Kuntscher nailing these figures were 14 and 16.7 weeks; 19.6 and 14.5 weeks; 16.6, 22 and 13 weeks respectively. Pre-drilled Kuntscher nail with good quality cortical screws for interlocking is recommended for any variety of femoral shaft fracture. It is cost effective, at the same time gives acceptable result as compared to standard interlocking intramedullary nail.