Hip Fracture Treatment: What is an Intertan Nail Surgery?

A broken hip is a major league injury, especially for older adults. When the femur bone fractures near the hip joint (an intertrochanteric fracture), the goal of surgery is to create a fix that is so stable it allows you to get back on your feet as quickly and safely as possible. For years, surgeons used various nails and plates with mixed success. But a newer, smarter piece of engineering called the Intertan nail has become a go-to choice for these challenging fractures because it directly attacks the main reasons why older implants failed.​

So, What Is an Intertan Nail?

An Intertan is a type of intramedullary nail, which means it’s a long metal rod that goes down the hollow center of your femur bone. Think of it as a strong internal splint. But what makes the Intertan special isn't the nail itself; it's the screws that go through it and into the "ball" of your hip (the femoral head).​

Instead of using a single large screw like many older nails, the Intertan uses two smaller screws that are integrated into one solid piece. Before they are ever inserted, they are locked together. This one simple design feature is the key to its success.​

Why Is This Integrated Design Such a Big Deal?

To understand why the Intertan is so revolutionary, you have to know what went wrong with older, single-screw nails. They were vulnerable to two major problems:

1. Rotation (The Spin): A single, round screw can allow the femoral head to rotate around it like a propeller. This spinning, even on a microscopic level, can prevent the bone from healing and cause the implant to fail.​

2. Collapse (The Cut-Out): The massive forces across the hip can cause the bone to collapse downward, making the single screw saw its way out of the bone—a painful and catastrophic failure.​

The Intertan's integrated two-screw design brilliantly solves both of these issues. The two screws create a stable rectangular profile within the bone. It's mechanically impossible to spin a rectangle inside a circle, so this design provides incredible rotational stability. It also creates a much broader platform of support for the femoral head, acting like an internal buttress to resist collapse.​

What to Expect From the Surgery?

Intertan nailing surgery is a minimally invasive procedure. The surgeon makes a small incision on the side of your hip to insert the nail down the center of your femur. Using an X-ray machine for guidance, they then insert the integrated screws through the nail and into the femoral head. Another screw is placed at the bottom of the nail to lock it in place. Because the incisions are small, there's less muscle damage and blood loss compared to traditional open surgeries with large plates.​

The Bottom Line: A More Stable Fix for a Faster Recovery

Multiple studies have shown the benefits of the Intertan's superior design. While the surgery might take slightly longer than with some other nails, the results often speak for themselves. Patients who receive an Intertan often experience:​

• Less postoperative pain in the early recovery period.​

• The ability to bear weight sooner due to the enhanced stability.​

• A significantly lower risk of orthopaedic implant failure and the need for a devastating second surgery.​

• Better functional outcomes and a higher chance of returning to pre-fracture activities.​

Ultimately, Intertan surgery is all about providing a rock-solid, biomechanically superior fix that gives the bone the best possible environment to heal. For patients, that means a more reliable repair, a smoother early recovery, and a better shot at getting back to the life they had before their fall.