One-stop virtual planning for optimising implant selection and surgical efficiency in subtrochanteric fractures

INTRODUCTION: Long proximal femoral intramedullary nails present challenges in the treatment of subtrochanteric fractures. Short nails may represent a suitable alternative; however, conventional preoperative planning has limitations in evaluating their appropriateness. This study investigated whether computer-assisted virtual planning can enhance implant selection consistency, short nail utilisation, and surgical outcomes. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study analysed 103 patients (57 virtual planning, 46 conventional planning) treated with proximal femoral intramedullary nailing at a Level I trauma centre in China between 2009 and 2018. Conventional planning relied on imaging and surgeon experience. Virtual planning used three-dimensional computed tomography reconstruction to simulate fracture reduction and determine optimal implant dimensions. Primary outcomes were the planned and actual implant dimensions selected. Secondary outcomes included operative parameters, complications, implant-associated adverse events, and functional scores at 12 months. Robust multivariate analysis of covariance and logistic regression analyses were performed. RESULTS: Compared with conventional planning, virtual planning demonstrated higher consistency between planned and actual short/long nail selection (kappa coefficient=0.95 vs 0.54) and implant dimensions (intraclass correlation coefficient: 0.889-0.971 vs 0.786-0.870), with a higher actual short nail utilisation rate (75.4% vs 52.2%). Virtual planning reduced operative duration (90.21 vs 141.67 minutes; P<0.001), closed reduction duration (23.02 vs 30.43 minutes; P<0.001), blood loss (203.51 vs 294.78 mL; P<0.001), and number of fluoroscopy exposures (19.95 vs 29.67; P<0.001), and was associated with faster learning curves. Complications and functional scores were statistically similar between groups but numerically favoured the virtual planning group. CONCLUSION: Virtual planning improved implant selection consistency, short nail utilisation, and surgical efficiency. It demonstrated numerically superior clinical outcomes.