The treatment of unstable trochanteric fracture by Ender's nailing: early results of a prospective trial.

The early results of a prospective trial on the treatment of unstable trochanteric fractures of the femur by Ender's nailing are encouraging. The operation is easy to perform, reliable and carries little added risk of operative complications. Most of the patients could walk independently with a stick by the 6th post-operative week. The incidence of complications such as wound infection, hip joint penetration by the nails, superolateral cut out and backing out of the nails distally were low. External rotation deformity of the limb as well as knee pain continued to be problematic especially in the early post-operative period. However, this did not seem to affect rehabilitation and the pain became less of a problem with the passage of time. Early full weight-bearing did not significantly increase varus deformity or implant failure even in Kyle's Type III unstable fractures.