What is intramedullary fixation?

Intramedullary nailing is surgery to repair a broken bone and keep it stable. The most common bones fixed by this procedure are the thigh, shin, hip, and upper arm. A permanent nail or rod is placed into the center of the bone.

What is intramedullary nail placement?

An intramedullary nail is a metal rod that is inserted into the medullary cavity of a bone and across the fracture in order to provide a solid support for the fractured bone. Intramedullary nailing is currently considered the “gold standard” for treatment of femoral shaft fractures (Rudloff 2009).

What is intramedullary bone?

Intramedullary is a medical term meaning the inside of a bone. Examples include intramedullary rods used to treat bone fractures in orthopedic surgery and intramedullary tumors occurring in some forms of cancer or benign tumors such as an enchondroma.

Is intramedullary nailing internal fixation?

Intramedullary nailing is an internal fixation technique mainly used for the surgical management of long bone diaphyseal fractures and since more recently, also in metaphyseal and periarticular fractures.

What is intramedullary implant?

An intramedullary rod, also known as an intramedullary nail (IM nail) or inter-locking nail or Küntscher nail (without proximal or distal fixation), is a metal rod forced into the medullary cavity of a bone. IM nails have long been used to treat fractures of long bones of the body.

What is intramedullary lesion?

Intramedullary intradural lesions are within the substance of the cord. Extramedullary lesions are located within the dural sac but exterior to the spinal cord.

When is intramedullary nail used?

What is an intramedullary implant?

What is internal fixation of a fracture?

Internal fixation refers to the method of physically reconnecting the bones. This might involve special screws, plates, rods, wires, or nails that the surgeon places inside the bones to fix them in the correct place. This prevents the bones from healing abnormally.

What are intramedullary rods made of?

Usually, the rod is made of titanium and they come in different lengths and diameters to fit patients of different ages and heights. A small incision is made at either the hip or the knee and the rod is inserted into the marrow canal. Screws are used to hold it in position at each end.

When are intramedullary nails used?

Indications. Intramedullary nail fixation is best indicated for extra-articular distal radius fractures that are unstable and cannot be maintained with closed reduction (Fig. W4-2).