A comparative study of plating vs nailing- retrograde nailing for femur and antegrade nailing for tibia for floating knee

Abstract

Background: Floating knee injuries are complex injuries that are generally caused by a high-energy trauma such as a motorcycle or a car accident. Local trauma to the musculoskeletal and the soft tissues is often extensive and life-threatening; associated injuries may also be present, producing a challenging problem to manage. In this study, we presented the outcome of these injuries after surgical management.Patients and Methods: In this prospective study, 30 patients with floating knee injuries were managed over a 1-year period; both fractures of the floating knee injury were fixed surgically by different modalities. Fractures were classified according to the modified Fraser classification, and the outcome was evaluated by the Karlstrom criteria.Results: The main mode of injury was motorcycle accident (70%). The complications presented in 4 (13%) patients. According to the Karlstrom criteria, the end results were as follows: Excellent − 8 (26.6%), good − 17 (20.6%), acceptable − 2 (23.6%), and poor − 2 (11.8%).Conclusion: Surgical fixation is an effective treatment for floating knee injuries worldwide. On long-term follow-up of patients treated surgically, the functional and radiological outcomes were good with few complications rate.