Twenty-six patients ranging from nineteen to ninety-two years old
underwent rigid internal fixation of supracondylar-intercondylar fractures
of the distal end of the femur, using a supracondylar plate and lag screw
to achieve two-plane fixation. The congruity of the articular surface of
the knee was anatomically restored, as were the mechanical and anatomical
axes of the lower extremity. The time to clinical and roentgenographic
union averaged four months. There were no non-unions or postoperative
infections. The average postoperative range of motion of the knee was 120
degrees. The average length of follow-up was twenty-one months. This series
demonstrates the advantages of stable internal fixation using a
supracondylar plate and lag screw over other types of fixation.