The intramedullary nailing using a single knee incision for treatment of extraarticular floating knee (nine cases).

CONTEXT: Floating knee injuries are uncommon and complex injuries. Management of this injury has been variously described in the literature.

AIMS: We present the outcome of the intramedullary nailing using a single knee incision for treatment of extraarticular floating knee.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

We report a retrospective series of nine patients with extraarticular floating knee.

RESULTS

There were seven men and two women with an average age of 35 years. At least one of the fractures was open in three cases. The average Injury Severity Score was 17. According to Fraser's classification, 100% of the cases are type I. All our patients were treated by the intramedullary nailing using a single knee incision. The mean operating time was 146 min. The mean follow-up is 19 months. According to the Karlström criteria, the end results were excellent in two cases, good in four, acceptable in two, and poor in one. Bone union was achieved in eight cases with an average period of 93 days.

CONCLUSIONS

The intramedullary nailing using a single knee incision has shown in this series better results.