Implantation of INTERTAN™ nail in four patients with intertrochanteric fractures leading to single or comminute fractures: pitfalls and recommendations: a case series

INTRODUCTION: Intraoperative technical complications are occasionally encountered while implanting INTERTAN™ nails for intertrochanteric fractures. Surgeons need to pay attention to the difficulties they may encounter during the implantation of an INTERTAN™ nail. CASE PRESENTATION: We report four cases with intraoperative difficulties during the implantation of INTERTAN™ nails among Han Chinese patients from mainland China. In Case 1, during the operation on a 75-year-old woman, an anatomical specificity of excessive femoral shaft curvation at the coronal and sagittal planes was observed; a relatively smooth implantation was achieved by adjusting the entry point. In Case 2, due to fat obstruction, an INTERTAN™ nail was implanted at an oblique angle in 64-year-old obese woman, which resulted in an iatrogenic fracture of the proximal femur. In Case 3, an iatrogenic fracture of the distal femur developed in an 83-year-old woman because of violent hammering and underestimating of bone fragility. In Case 4, an iatrogenic fracture occurred in a 40-year-old woman around the distal locking slot during the drilling process. CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative evaluation should be considered as an important preparation for the implantation of an INTERTAN™ nail. Full-length anteroposterior and lateral radiographs of the injured femur are necessary to confirm the anatomical specificity. The vertical trajectory as well as sufficient reaming is important in reducing the possibility of iatrogenic fractures, particularly for obese patients. In older patients, violent hammering should be avoided and full reaming is recommended even if the canal seems to be wide enough. For cases where hard fracture reduction is predicted, the strategy of open reduction and fixation with a dynamic hip screw seems to be more rational and should be considered as an alternative method.