Accurate Intraoperative Estimation of Tip-Apex Distance in the Cephalomedullary Fixation of Proximal Femoral Fractures
Abstract
Cephalomedullary nailing systems, including the Trochanteric Femoral Nailing-ADVANCED™ (TFNA) (DePuy Synthes, Raynham, Massachusetts, United States), are widely utilised for stabilising proximal femoral fractures. A pivotal aspect of the procedure involves ensuring adequate tip-apex distance (TAD) of the lag screw below 25 mm, a measure that substantially diminishes the cutout rate. We introduce a simple method to accurately estimate the intraoperative TAD in TFNA fixation. This technique relies on the known diameter of the shaft of the screw (the root diameter), just proximal to the threaded section. The new technique is simple, easy, and effective in potentially reducing operative time and improving the accuracy of estimating TAD during cephalomedullary hip fracture stabilisation surgery.
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Date
2025-03-31
Type
Article
Subject
Femoral Fractures, Surgical Fixation Devices
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Citation
Al Hussainy HA, Martins A, Le G. Accurate Intraoperative Estimation of Tip-Apex Distance in the Cephalomedullary Fixation of Proximal Femoral Fractures. Cureus. 2025 Mar 31;17(3):e81508. doi: 10.7759/cureus.81508