FEMUR FRACTURES WITH FEMORAL OR POPLITEAL ARTERY INJURIES IN BLUNT TRAUMA

The treatment and results of 13 blunt femoral fractures with an arteri al injury were reviewed. Two of the 13 patients (15%) sustained segmen tal (two levels) arterial injuries. Stabilization of the femur fractur es were performed before arterial repair in 10 of the 13 femurs. The r esults were determined at an average of 4.5 years. For the eight open fractures, two patients had above-knee amputations, no limb regained > 90 degrees of knee motion, four patients required a brace or cane, and three patients have intermittent wound drainage. The five closed frac tures all regained full function with full knee motion. Due to the 15% incidence of segmental arterial injury, ''wide-field'' arteriography is advised for the evaluation of this injury. Femoral stabilization ma y be performed before arterial repair if the procedure does not encroa ch on the viability of the limb. The functional results depend on the soft-tissue damage, as illustrated by the poor results seen in open fr actures.