Abstract: Objectives: To describe the therapeutic technique, to assess the duration of consolidation of the fractures of the femoral shaft treated by open centromedullary nailing, to highlight the complications associated with the therapeutic technique and to evaluate the prognosis of the treatment.
Patients and Methods: This was a major retrospective study of the records of patients aged 15 years and older with a femoral shaft fracture and were treated by open-ended centromedullary nailing in the orthopedic and trauma department of Sylvanus Olympio University Hospital in Lomé from January 2010 to December 2016.
Results: One hundred and fifty-four patients underwent osteosynthesis of the open femoral shaft with nailing. The 25-35 age group was the most represented with 35.06%. Patients with a liberal profession were predominant (55.19%). Sixty-four patients (41.56%) underwent locked nailing and 90 patients (58.44%) had an unlocked nailing. Immediate complications were mainly hemorrhagic shock and secondary complications with infection (7.14%) which was superficial in the majority of cases. Delayed consolidation was the leading cause of late complications. 94.81% consolidated within the six-month period. We found only 1.95% of nonunion. The result was very good in 86.02% of cases. 76 patients (49.35%) found the treatment expensive, but the majority of operated patients (98.05%) said they were satisfied with the treatment
Conclusion: Centromedullary open-heart nailing provides good results when asepsis and postoperative procedures are observed.
