Effect of emergency surgery for distal femoral fracture using the locking compression plate: A retrospective analysis

To compare the effects of emergency surgery versus elective surgery using the locking compression plate (LCP) for the treatment of distal femoral fracture (DFF). Sixty DFF patients admitted between June 2022 and October 2023 were analyzed retrospectively, including 32 cases of emergency surgery (emergency group) and 28 cases of elective surgery (elective group). The preoperative waiting time, operation time (OT), intraoperative blood loss (IBL), hospitalization expenses, fracture healing time, as well as knee joint function (Hospital for Special Surgery, HSS), and pain (Visual Analogue Scale, VAS) during plate removal were statistically analyzed. Finally, treatment satisfaction was investigated. The emergency group had lower preoperative waiting time, hospitalization expenses and hospitalization time than the elective group ( p < 0.05), with lower preoperative complications (3.13 % vs. 7.14 %, p < 0.05) and no difference in clinical efficacy ( p > 0.05). The emergency group had fewer preoperative complications (hypoproteinemia: 0 % vs. 14.29 %, p = 0.028). At 3 months after surgery, the HSS score of the emergency group was higher than that of the elective group, and the treatment satisfaction was higher ( p < 0.05). Emergency surgery using the LCP for DFF reduced hospitalization expenses and preoperative waiting time and safe and is beneficial to improve early postoperative knee function (3-month follow-up) of patients.