Comment on the article 'Auxiliary locking plate improves fracture stability and healing in intertrochanteric fractures fixated by intramedullary nail (IMN)' by Eberle et al.

摘要

Dear Editor, We read with interest the recent article "Auxiliary locking plate improves fracture stability and healing in intertrochanteric fractures fixated by intramedullary nail (IMN)" by Eberle et al. (2012). The authors conducted a study to determine whether an auxiliary locking plate decreases interfragmentary motions and improves fracture healing in unstable intertrochanteric fractures treated by IMN. At the end of the study they found that an auxiliary locking plate decreased interfragmentary motions, increased osteosynthesis stiffness and reduced the load on the IMN, and thus they concluded that auxiliary plating might improve fracture healing and reduce risk of implant failure in intertrochanteric fractures with considerable instability.