Early Weight Bearing after Distal Femur Fracture Fixation

OBJECTIVES: To assess outcomes following early weight bearing after distal femur fracture fixation with locked lateral plating. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study SETTING: Two Level 1 Academic Trauma Centers. PATIENTS/PARTICIPANTS: Patients 18 years and older with distal femur fractures treated with locked lateral plating INTERVENTION: Early full weight bearing (defined as less than 30 days from date of surgery) versus restricted post-operative weight bearing MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: Composite complication comprising malunion, nonunion, surgical site infection, re-admission, or death RESULTS: 270 distal femur fractures were reviewed, with 165 meeting inclusion criteria. 21 patients had been allowed early full weight bearing. Fractures were divided into two groups based on when full weight bearing was allowed post-operatively. The two groups had similar fractures as determined by the distribution of AO distal femur fracture and Su periprosthetic femur fracture classifications. The early weight bearing group was significantly older and more comorbid. Despite being older, more comorbid, and allowed early full weight bearing on their fracture fixation construct, there was no difference in the rate of composite complications between groups. CONCLUSION: Our data contributes to the small, but growing body of literature that has found no increased rate of fracture related complications in surgically treated distal femur fractures allowed early post-operative weight bearing. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic Level III Study.