Springer (part of Springer Nature), Archives of Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery, 4(135), p. 473-480
DOI: 10.1007/s00402-015-2169-y
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Introduction: Piriformis fossa entry antegrade femoral nailing is a common method for stabilizing diaphyseal femur fractures. However, clinically significant complications such as chronic hip pain, hip abductor weakness, heterotopic ossification and femoral head osteonecrosis have been reported. A recent cadaveric study found that piriformis entry nailing damaged either the deep branch of the medial femoral circumflex artery (MFCA) or its distal superior retinacular artery branches in 100 % of specimens and therefore recommended against its use. However, no study has quantitatively assessed the effect of different femoral entry points on femoral head perfusion.