Medullary Fixation of Forearm Fractures

Abstract

In the treatment of forearm fractures, the results obtained by medullary fixation are probably neither better nor worse than those obtained by any other single technique. These results are disappointing, however, when compared with those obtained by the same method in the treatment of femoral fractures. The most important contribution of this method to the treatment of forearm fractures is perhaps that it maintains length and alignment with a minimal incidence of infection in the presence of severe soft-tissue injury. In the treatment of solitary or segmental fractures of the ulna, it is an efficient, rapid, and simple procedure. In the treatment of radial fractures, however, the technique is not simple nor is it uniformly efficient. The authors feel that the design of the pins and the technique of their insertion, particularly for the radius, can be improved appreciably.