Salvaging Chronic Nonunion of Femoral Neck and Infected Nonunion of Ipsilateral Femoral Shaft Fracture Using Intramedullary Antibiotic Cement Spacer and External Fixator Alone

Abstract

Concomitant ipsilateral fractures of femoral neck and shaft are rare injuries and pose challenging management. Infected non-unions of such fractures can further complicate the management options and have not been discussed in the literature. We present a case of an eight-month-old atrophic non-union of ipsilateral femoral shaft and femoral neck with evidence of intramedullary infection that was managed using a cost-effective, low strain rail fixator assembly and an intramedullary antibiotic cement spacer. Both fracture non-unions were salvaged without the need for any additional procedure. The patient returned to his regular activities within a year follow-up period. There was no clinical evidence of infection during the last follow-up at 16 months, and inflammatory markers were within normal limits. The current case study suggests that while aggressive debridement and intramedullary antibiotic cement spacer can control the intramedullary infection, and simultaneous union of even atrophic nonunion of femoral shaft and femoral neck, both, can be obtained using a tensioned Schanz pin-based external fixator without the need for any secondary procedure. Such a fixator and cement spacer assembly can thus address the dual purpose of fracture stabilization during infection control as well as the union of the non-union sites.