Intramedullary nailing of femoral shaft fractures.Part III: Long-term effects of static interlocking fixation

Author summary Problems resulting from stress-riser or stress-shielding are not clinically evident in patients in whom a fracture of the femoral shaft has healed after treatment with static locked nailing. Conversion to dynamic intramedullary fixation for a period of time before the nail is removed is unnecessary. Brumback et al recommend that circumferential healing of the femoral cortex be evident before the intramedullary nail is removed.