ONE-WAY COMPRESSION ALONG THE FEMORAL-SHAFT WITH THE MEDOFF SLIDING PLATE - THE FIRST EUROPEAN EXPERIENCE OF 104 INTERTROCHANTERIC FRACTURES WITH A 1 YEAR FOLLOW-UP

This is an assessment of a new device for treatment of intertrochanter ic and subtrochanteric fractures. The Medoff sliding plate (MSP) allow s compression in 3 different modes: along the femoral shaft, along the femoral neck or a combination of both. In this prospective series of 104 consecutive intertrochanteric fractures, dynamic compression was a llowed only along the femoral shaft. Simple undislocated intertrochant eric 2-part fractures were excluded. The patients were followed clinic ally and radiographically for 1 year. 21 patients died within 1 year a fter the operation. 7 technical failures including 2 non-unions occurr ed. All were lag screw penetrations, 4 of which were considered to be due to unforced errors by the surgeons. The technical failure rate in this preliminary evaluation of the MSP is similar to that of the dynam ic hip screw. Randomized trials comparing the MSP with other hip screw systems should follow to ascertain possible advantages of the MSP, wi th its various sliding modes in different types of fractures of the pr oximal femur.