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DOI: 10.1055/s-0044-1788600
High Rate of Postoperative Complications in Ballistic Distal Femur Fractures
Article in several languages: español | English
Abstract
Introduction Femur fractures are among the most common injuries caused by gunshots. However, distal femur fractures due to gunshots are scarcely studied in the literature.
Objective To present a cohort of patients with distal femur fractures caused by gunshots treated surgically and to analyze their complications.
Materials and Methods A retrospective cohort study of patients operated on for distal femur fractures caused by gunshots in a public hospital in an area with a vulnerable population, from 2011 to 2015. Demographic variables, days from admission to definitive surgery, intraoperative time, type of definitive osteosynthesis, complications, and one-year mortality were recorded.
Results In total, 39 patients met the inclusion criteria; they had a mean age of 30 (range: 16–53) years, and 85% were men. The mean latency until the definitive osteosynthesis was of 9.8 (range: 1–33) days. The overall complication rate was of 25.64%, with a reintervention rate of 23.08%. The main complication was infection (12.82%). There were no statistically significant factors associated with complications. There were no deaths at the one-year follow-up.
Conclusion Patients with distal femur fractures caused by gunshots present a high rate of complications, especially infections, with a high rate of reinterventions.
Level of Evidence: Type IV, retrospective study.
Publication History
Received: 19 April 2020
Accepted: 29 May 2024
Article published online:
26 July 2024
© 2024. Sociedad Chilena de Ortopedia y Traumatologia. This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)
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