[Interlocking central medullary nailing of recent femoral and tibial fractures. Statistical study apropos of 835 cases].

Kuntscher's conventional closed intra-medullary nailing represents a good procedure in the treatment of diaphyseal fractures of the femur and the tibia but had a very restricted area (the midshaft) of indications. Thanks to the interlocking technic which consists in the fixation of the nail to the bone by means of transfixing screws either in a static or in a dynamic procedure, the method can be extended to fractures localised between both epiphysis of the long bones. After a first period between 1974 and 1983 of development of the method summarized in a first statistic, a second study was performed between 1984 and 1989 in the Center of Traumatology of Strasbourg with 837 cases of fresh fractures of the femur (385) and the tibia (397) treated by locked intra-medullary nailing. In two third of the cases the procedure was static and in one third it was dynamic. Full weight bearing was allowed in a mean period of 60 days. On the femur (371 closed and 65 open fractures), we had noted 8 infections out of which 2 deep infections (0.45%), 5 non unions, 25 moderate malunions in varus and 18 in valgus. On the tibia (267 closed and 132 open fractures) we had observed 15 deep infections (3.7%) out of which 9 (2.2%) after open fractures, 15 non unions (3.7%), 22 compartment syndroms, 6 mal unions in varus and 54 malunions in valgus greater than 5 degrees out of which 15 greater than 10 degrees.