Percutaneous treatment of peritrochanteric fractures using the gamma nail

The goal of the current study was to analyze patients treated with the Gamm a nail, and to describe techniques that prevent commonly reported complicat ions. One hundred patients with closed peritrochanteric femur fractures wer e treated by one surgeon using the Gamma nail. Ninety patients met the mini mum 6 month followup requirement. Eighty-eight of the 90 fractures (98%) he aled after the index procedure. There were nine (10%) complications (nine p atients) with four patients (4%) requiring surgical intervention. One patie nt required total hip arthroplasty because of nonunion, and one patient req uired cerclage wiring of a post-operative femoral fracture. The third patie nt had an infection develop which resolved after debridement and a course o f antibiotics. The fourth patient complained of thigh pain, which resulted in hardware removal. In the five remaining patients with complications, one patient had multi-infarct dementia and the family refused additional treat ment, two patients with intraoperative femur fractures did not require trea tment and two patients with thigh pain did not require additional treatment . Surgical time averaged 53 minutes and blood loss averaged 104 cc, Percuta neous fixation using the Gamma nail is effective in treating patients with peritrochanteric fractures. Surgical time and blood loss were minimized, ea rly weightbearing was initiated, and previously reported complications were decreased.