Is Immediate Weight-Bearing Safe After Single Implant Fixation of Elderly Distal Femur Fractures?

Objectives: To compare early complications in elderly patients with extra-articular distal femur fractures (DFFs) allowed to weight-bear as tolerated (WBAT) immediately versus patients prescribed initial touchdown weight-bearing (TDWB).

Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Setting: Level 1 academic trauma center.

Patients: One hundred thirty-five patients 60 years or older who underwent surgical fixation of an extra-articular DFF, including the OTA/AO fracture classification of 33-A1-3, and periprosthetic fractures with a stable knee prosthesis (Lewis and Rorabeck type I or II) with at least 6 months follow-up.

Intervention: Immediate WBAT or TDWB after surgical fixation of an extra-articular DFF with either an intramedullary nail or locked plate.

Main Outcome Measurements: The primary outcome was a major adverse event within the first 6 months, defined as (1) early fixation failure or change in alignment leading to reoperation, (2) nonunion, or (3) deep infection. Secondary outcomes included postoperative inpatient length of stay, discharge disposition (secondary facility vs. home), malunion, mortality, and patient-reported outcomes.

Results: The rate of early adverse events requiring reoperation was similar between the WBAT group (6, 10.7%) and the TDWB group (15, 19.0%; P = 0.23). There was no difference between groups with respect to length of stay, discharge disposition, malunion, and patient-reported outcomes.

Conclusions: This study supports allowing carefully selected elderly patients, based on surgeon preference, to immediately weight-bear after operative fixation of an extra-articular DFF regardless of implant choice.

Level Of Evidence: Therapeutic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.