[Treatment of uninfected pseudarthroses of the lower extremity near the joint using the Küntscher medullary nail].

The Küntscher nail has proved successful in the treatment of non-unions of the median third of the femur and lower leg after opening of the medullary cavity; in fact, this method is described in literature as the method of choice. It is based on the assumption that a sufficiently dimensioned intramedullary Küntscher nail together with the biological stimulative action of the bone meal, will result in a rapid osseous bridging of the non-union. This method has been successfully used in 128 cases even in non-unions which were close to the joint. Healing occurred in 92% of the cases. In about 11 cases it became necessary to perform a secondary operation. The high rate of infection, amounting to 12.4%, is relatively low compared with the very high rate of infective relapses following the first operation to achieve healing of the bone fractures.