The steadily increasing frequency of car accidents and industrial injuries have contributed to :increasing numbers of injuries to the femoral shaft. Fractures of tbe femoral shaft have always created complicated Qroblems associated with long periods of immobilization, resultant functional disability and economic loss. The methods of treatment are variable, therefore it is important to choose the correct form of treatment.
The authors have reviewed 67 fractures of the femoral shaft in 66 patients for the 5 years period from Jan., 1972 to Dec., 1976, who were treated in the department of Orthopedic Surgery, Kyoungpook National University Hospital.
The res~ks were as foliows;
1. Most of fractures occured in person who are in their third and fourth decades. Male are predominant.
2. Eliciting causes were mainly traumatic and most of them were car accidents.
3. Middle third of the femur was most prevalent location of the fracture site, and comminuted type was most frequent- in the fracture type.
4. The period of immobilization for femoral shaft fracture was 7 weeks -for those treated with compression plate and Kuntscher nailing; 11.7 weeks with conventional plate and screw fixation and 17.8 weeks with skeletal traction. ,
5. Postoperative infection rate was .3% and infection was treated by conservative methods.
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