Technical note - The reamed unlocked 316L stainless steel femoral Küntscher nail is breakage resistant.

Abstract

Much controversy exists about the reliability of cheap implants, often the only ones affordable in low income countries. Between August 1, 2021, and August 1, 2023, 110 patients were treated with a reamed unlocked 316L stainless steel Küntscher nail for a fracture of the femoral shaft in Mutoyi Hospital, Mutoyi (Gitega), Burundi. Not a single breakage occurred. Minimal bending (9°) without the need of a reoperation occurred in 2 cases (1,8%). Migration necessitated a small reintervention for a single nail (0,9%).