Fractures of the femur treated by femoral plating using the anterolateral approach.

A review of 56 fractures of the femoral shaft plated by the anterolateral approach was undertaken. The final results were graded as excellent or good in 37 cases (66 per cent). Loss of flexion of the knee of more than 10 degrees occurred in 17 cases (30 per cent); these were mostly patients whose plating was delayed by more than 14 days, or was done as a secondary procedure. Patients with open fractures and with other fractures in the same femur tended to have poorer final results. The late complication rate was 18 per cent, which was similar to that for the posterolateral approach for plating the femoral shaft. It is our view that the anterolateral approach is satisfactory for plating the femoral shaft.