[Current status and progress of clinical research on distal femoral fractures].

Objective: To investigate current status and latest progress of clinical research on distal femoral fractures.

Methods: The related literature was extensively reviewed to summarize the trend of the researches and their clinical application in the treatment of distal femoral fractures.

Results: Distal femoral fractures are likely to occur in young people who suffer from high-energy damage and the elderly with osteoporosis, which is always comminuted and unstable fractures, and often involved in the articular surface and combined with serious soft tissue injury. Therefore, the treatment faces many challenges. External fixation is now used as a temporary means of controlling injury. The vast majority of patients are feasible to internal fixation, including plates system and intramedullary nail system. Different internal fixator also has its own characteristics, such as double plates can strengthen the medial support of the femur, less invasive stabilization system protects the blood supply of fractures, distal cortial locking plate is theoretically more fit for the requirements of bone healing, retrograde intramedullary nail can resist varus and valgus.

Conclusion: The treatment of distal femoral fractures should be based on the type of fracture and the characteristics of internal fixators.