Bone Union Time of Simple Distal Femur Fractures in the Elderly according to Fracture Gap after Treated with Minimally Invasive Plate Osteosynthesis

ABSTRACT

Purpose@#This study examined the difference in bone union time according to the fracture gap after minimally invasive plate osteosynthesis (MIPO) for simple distal femoral fractures in elderly patients. @*Materials and Methods@#From January 2010 to December 2019, patients aged 60 years or older who underwent surgical treatment for distal femoral fractures due to a low-energy injury were investigated retrospectively. Forty patients were enrolled in the study. The patients were divided into two groups according to the fracture gap after reduction: no more than 2 mm (Group A) and more than 2 mm (Group B) in the anteroposterior and lateral plane. The demographic, operation time, presence or absence of cerclage wiring, plate screw density, plate span ratio, plate length, bone union period, non-union, and complications were evaluated. @*Results@#No statistical differences in operation time, cerclage wiring, plate screw density, plate span ratio, and plate length were observed between the two groups, and the bone union was achieved in all patients without complication. The bone union period was 17.24±1.48 weeks in Group A and 24.53± 5.20 weeks in Group B, which was statistically significant (p<0.001). @*Conclusion@#The bone union time in treating geriatric simple distal femur fractures using the MIPO tech-nique was significantly shorter in the 2 mm or less fracture gap than in the greater than 2 mm group.