The treatment of trochanteric fractures of the femur by the Ender method.

In 1966, Kuntscher2 introduced a condylo-cephalic intra-medullary nail, claiming more stable reduction with reduced blood loss and risk of infection. Unfortunately, technical difficulties due to the rigid nature of the rod, and, a high incidence of postoperative knee pain, limited its use. Ender and Simon-Weidner,3 and subsequently, Kuderna and Bohler4 described fixation of trochanteric fractures with 4.5 mm diameter pre-bent flexible stainless steel rods introduced through the medial femoral condyle. Several series, detailing the efficacy of this method are now appearing in the English language literature.4-9