THE DETECTION OF FAT-EMBOLISM BY TRANSESOPHAGEAL ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY DURING REAMED INTRAMEDULLARY NAILING - A STUDY OF 24 PATIENTS WITH FEMORAL AND TIBIAL FRACTURES

Citation
Ach. Pell et al., THE DETECTION OF FAT-EMBOLISM BY TRANSESOPHAGEAL ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY DURING REAMED INTRAMEDULLARY NAILING - A STUDY OF 24 PATIENTS WITH FEMORAL AND TIBIAL FRACTURES, Journal of bone and joint surgery. British volume, 75(6), 1993, pp. 921-925
Citations number
17
Categorie Soggetti
Surgery,Orthopedics
ISSN journal
0301620X
Volume
75
Issue
6
Year of publication
1993
Pages
921 - 925
Database
ISI
SICI code
0301-620X(1993)75:6<921:TDOFBT>2.0.ZU;2-4
Abstract
We performed transoesophageal echocardiography on 24 patients during r eamed intramedullary nailing of 17 tibial and seven femoral fractures. In 14 patients there was only minimal evidence of emboli passing thro ugh the heart, but in six copious showers of small emboli (< 10 mm max imum dimension) were observed. In four other patients, there were also multiple large emboli (> 10 mm maximum dimension). Three of these pat ients developed fat embolism syndrome postoperatively and one died. Ea rlier nailing was associated with smaller quantities of emboli.