Transarticular fixation in the treatment of non-union of supracondylar fractures of the femur: a salvage procedure.

We treated eleven non-unions of a supracondylar fracture of the femur with application of a bone graft and fixation with a Küntscher intramedullary rod driven across the knee joint. In ten of the eleven patients the fracture united and the patients obtained stability, relief of pain, and, in two patients, an increased range of motion of the knee. Most surgeons use the blade-plate or the compression screw for fixation, but the intramedullary nail may be a better device and may simplifty the surgical procedure.