Between April 1999 and December 2001 forty-one patients (forty-five femora) with metastatic lesions in the proximal femur involving intertrochanteric and subtrochanteric regions were stabilised with Proximal Femoral Nail (PFN). Thirty-eight patients (forty-two femora) were followed up for a mean period of 20 months (range 3 weeks to 35 months). There was an overall increase in mobility in 60% of the patients and the rest remained the same. Mean Preoperative Visual analog scale rating for thigh pain was 8.1 versus 3.4 for postoperative score (p< 0.01). There were no complications with respect to PFN. There were three post operative complications – chest infection, superficial wound dehiscence and pulmonary embolism. All these complications resolved without any further deterioration. Since these lesions do not usually heal well a cephalomedullary device is ideal to withstand long-term cyclic loading. Minimal operative trauma, mechanical stability, early mobilisation, pain relief and short hospital stay are the advantages of PFN in stabilising impending fractures of the proximal femur.

Aim: To report our experience with a newly devised Long Proximal Femoral Nail [Long PFN] for treating complex subtrochanteric femoral fractures. The nail has the advantage of providing rotational as well as axial stability in the proximal femur with its hip pin in addition to the strong hip screw and easy operation technique. Methods: Twenty-four consecutive patients with twenty-four displaced subtrochanteric femoral fractures were treated with long PFN. The fractures were classified according to the Seinsheimer’s criteria. In 9 patients, the proximal femur had posteromedial wall comminution with displacement. The average age of the patients was 68.7 years. Closed reduction of the fracture was attempted in all cases and when it failed to achieve satisfactory reduction, a limited open reduction and cerclage cabling of the fracture was performed prior to the nailing with a particular emphasis on the postero-medial wall reconstruction. Result: The average follow up period was 49.7 weeks. All fractures in our series achieved bony union with an average time to union of 24.5 weeks. No patients had implant failure and no deep infection noted in the patients who had limited open reduction. Two patients had chest infection and one had non-fatal pulmonary embolism. Conclusion: Long PFN is a reliable implant in the treatment of complex subtro-chanteric fractures. Posteromedial wall reconstruction of the proximal femur is mandatory when treating sub-trochanteric fractures with Long PFN to avoid mechanical failure and non-union.