THE MISSING LINK IN THE HISTORY OF THE LOCKED INTRAMEDULLARY NAIL

ABSTRACT Femoral Shaft intramedullary nails were first described by the Aztecs in 16th century, but the modern use of intramedullary nails as the gold standard treatment for femoral shaft fractures began with Gerald Kuntcher in 1939. From the first Kuntcher’s study in 1939, to the creation of interlocking nail, a long and some minor developments were described around the world. However, a major development is missing: the first nail to have a rotational and vertical stability locking system was described by Flavio Godoy Moreira, but was never published on an indexed journal for the correct historical reference. Level of Evidence V, Therapeutics Studies, Expert Opinion.