Background
A coronal fracture of the distal femoral condyle, known as a Hoffa fracture, seldom occurs and is easy to misdiagnose. Surgery treatment, including open anatomic reduction and internal fixation, is the primary method of treatment. However, cases involving nonunion are extremely rare.
Case Presentation
We reported two cases in a 56‐year‐old female who visited our outpatient clinic with complaints of locking sensation, swelling, and pain, and a 64‐year‐old male patient who need additional care after having undergone surgery for a distal femur fracture. They presented with nonunion ofa Hoffa fracture (Letenneur type II), and these cases of nonunion were resolved surgically with debridement, two cannulated lag screws, a lateral extra‐articular buttress plate, and the liberal use of autologous bone grafts. After surgery, the two patients were allowed to bear partial weight and perform exercises. They were allowed to walk with full weight‐bearing after 3 months. No early complications, such as infection and loss of reduction, were noted after the revision surgery. At the one‐year follow‐up, both patients had excellent function and reported minimal pain, with a Lysholm score of 94.
Conclusions
Our case reports highlight the importance of the liberal use of autologous bone grafts, which allow stable reconstruction of the affected femoral condyle, thereby restoring joint congruence. A lateral extra‐articular buttress plate in combination with two cannulated lag screws is recommended for nonunion in Hoffa fracture patients, and they need to be closely followed up to detect complications promptly, especially those related to nonunion.
BackgroundThe purpose of this study was to evaluate a new method for treating neglected hip dislocation with limb length discrepancy by using external fixation-assisted pre-reduction.MethodsThirteen patients admitted between January 2010 to February 2018 with a mean duration from injury to surgery of 5.0 ± 2.1 months and an average preoperative leg-length discrepancy of 7.7 ± 2.3 cm were enrolled in this study. The dislocation and associated acetabular fracture type, clinical outcomes and residual limb length discrepancy were evaluated.ResultsAll patients had posterior dislocations, and nine patients presented with acetabular fractures and were followed-up for at least 12 months. The average traction duration of external fixators was 28.8 ± 8.0 days and all patients received second-stage open reduction and internal fixation. Six patients showed residual limb length discrepancy within 2 cm. Patients showed significant improvement in hip function and pain relief. Complications including avascular femoral head necrosis and osteoarthritis occurred in three patients.ConclusionEffective correction of limb length discrepancy and improved function were observed in patients with neglected hip dislocations and limb equality using traction by external fixation combined with second-stage open reduction. Further follow-up is required to determine long-term outcomes.
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