Nail plate combination technique for periprosthetic supracondylar femur fractures: How far have we come?

Open reduction and internal fixation for periprosthetic supracondylar femur fractures (PPFx) around a stable total knee arthroplasty (TKA) remains the gold standard, with the nail plate combination (NPC) technique offering increased biomechanical stability and high union rates. Advances in implant technology, particularly the introduction of the novel lateral locking attachment washer (LAW), have increased the availability of NPC options in the treatment of these technically demanding and complex cases. In this technical paper, we discuss two cases: Case 1 – describing the traditional NPC technique utilizing a retrograde intramedullary nail and lateral distal femoral locking plate; Case 2 – describing the NPC technique utilizing a retrograde nail and a novel LAW implant, which is now the authors’ more commonly utilized technique. Managing PPFx around a TKA implant remain a challenge, however, the integration of the LAW and newer generation of retrograde intramedullary nails have marked significant progress in treating these complex fractures.