When a person breaks their femur, the bone near the knee, surgery is often necessary to stabilize the fracture. Doctors have long debated which method works best: using an internal nail or a metal plate. A large review of clinical trials involving over 1,100 patients compared these two common surgical techniques.
The study found that patients who received intramedullary nailing (a rod placed inside the bone) had significantly shorter surgery times and reached bone union—the point where the bone has healed together—about three weeks faster than those who received plate fixation. Additionally, the nailing method showed a lower risk of infection.
However, there is a trade-off regarding comfort and movement. Patients who received the nail reported higher levels of knee pain and had slightly less range of motion when bending their knee compared to those with plates. Other factors like blood loss and overall functional scores did not show significant differences between the two methods.
