The Bisaccia and Meccariello technique in pediatric femoral shaft fractures withintramedullary titanium nail osteosynthesis linked external-fixator (IOLE): validity and reliability

BACKGROUND: Over the last 20 years, the incidence of pediatric femoral shaft fractures was increased, due to changes in the children’s daily activities. The healing times are different according to the chosen treatment and to other factors such as age, type of fracture, the involvement of the soft tissues, and concomitance with other injuries. The Bisaccia and Meccariello technique (Intramedullary titanium nail Osteosynthesis Linked External-fixator -IOLE) was born to prevent rotationally and lengthening malunion or nonunion in the treatment of pediatric femoral shaft fractures. HYPOTHEIS: The aim or the objective of this paper is to compare the IOLE with the two most used methods for the treatment of femoral fractures in children. METHODS: From 2000 to 2016, 58 pediatric patients with femoral shaft fractures were surgically treated and enrolled in the study. The ranged age of the patients was between 3 and 15 years. Twenty-two patients were treated with endomedullary titanium nails (TEN), 22 with external axial or modular external fixators and 14 patients treated with IOLE technique. The IOLE technique, in brief, is the hybridization of titanium intramedullary nails with a modular external fixator. It is divided into three phases, the first revenue given the length of the femur with the external fixator; the second, the rotations are dominated by the elastic nails; and the third finally they are hybridized on the external fixator. Comparing the three groups, radiographic images were taken to assess fracture reduction and consolidation. RESULTS: At the final follow-up, statistically significant differences in not weight-bearing times were found in favor of the IOLE group. There were no statistical differences between three groups in terms of significant rotation defects, angulation, growth, and/or nonunion. CONCLUSIONS: The Bisaccia- Meccariello technique (IOLE) showed to lead to healing the pediatric femoral shaft fracture of the femur but allows an early weight-bearing to these patients and normal life like that.