Operative challenges of intramedullary nailing for subtrochanteric blastic pathological femur fracture: a case report

Prostate adenocarcinoma metastasizes to bone and forms fragile blastic lesions, which can present as dense obstacles intraoperatively. There are limited reports on the challenges surgeons face when operating through these lesions. A 60-year-old male with a pathologic subtrochanteric femur fracture in the presence of blastic lesions was successfully treated with intramedullary (IM) fixation. Pathologic fractures from blastic bone lesions are expected to increase in prevalence as survivability improves for metastatic prostate cancer. Orthopedic surgeons, when performing IM fixation for these fractures, should be prepared to utilize accessory equipment and should adopt creative techniques for reduction and fixation.