A COMPARISON OF LONG PROXIMAL FEMUR NAIL V/S SHORT PROXIMAL FEMUR NAIL IN THE TREATMENT OF INTERTROCHANTERIC FRACTURES IN ADULTS AND ELDERLY

Aim: The objective of the study was to evaluate and compare the clinical outcomes of short versus long proximal femoral nails (PFN) in the treatment of stable intertrochanteric (IT) fractures. Methods: This was a hospital-based prospective study conducted over a two-year period, from July 2023 to July 2025, at the Department of Orthopaedics, Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College and Associated Group of Hospitals, Ajmer (Rajasthan). All the patients presenting with intertrochanteric fractures to the Department of Orthopaedics at JLN Medical College & Hospital, Ajmer, comprised the study population. Results: The majority of patients in Group 1 (40%) fall within the 61-70 years age range, followed by 35% in the 71-80 years category. In Group 2, the highest proportion (40%) belongs to the 50-60 years age group, while 35% are in the 71-80 years range. In Group 1, 60% of the patients are male, while 40% are female. In contrast, Group 2 has a higher proportion of male patients (80%) and a lower proportion of female patients. In Group 1, the involvement is evenly distributed, with 50% of patients having left-sided involvement and 50% having right-sided involvement and in Group 2, right-sided involvement is more common (65%). All patients in both groups (100%) were classified as Type 1, with no cases of Type 2 observed. In Group 1, the majority of patients (85%) sustained injuries due to slip and fall, while 15% were injured in road traffic accidents (RTA). Conclusion: Overall, both techniques are effective, but the long proximal femur nail may provide improved intraoperative efficiency without compromising long-term outcomes.