Sixty two patients with displaced femoral neck fractures treated by percutaneous pinning are reviewed. There were 37 females and 25 males with an average age of 63.7 years. There were 36 Garden grade III and 26 grade IV fractures. Twenty three patients had other medical conditions. Fourteen patients were operated under local anaesthesia. Superficial wound infection was found in three cases with no deep infection. Union occurred in 41 patients by eight months. Of the 21 non-unions 15 remained painless. The pins migrated outwards in seven cases but caused no clinical problem. Avascular necrosis was seen in 11 patients by 18 months. Avascular necrosis and non-union occurred together in six patients. Secondary hemiarthroplasty was performed in only ten patients. Routine hemiarthroplasty for femoral neck fractures is not always indicated. Femoral head preservation should be attempted before prosthetic replacement. The pinning surgery is simple, fast and can be performed under local anaesthesia. Hemiarthroplasty should be reserved for failed cases only.
Femoral neck fracture non-unions often present with significant difficult treatment decision as regards to surgical options and the risk of complication. We present three cases of femoral neck non-union treated with double screw stabilization technique using sliding compression hip screw and anti-rotational screw. The rationale for opting to these simple implants in our setting is discussed.
PURPOSE: To evaluate the short-term clinical and functional outcomes of total hip arthroplasty performed for physiologically active elderly patients with Garden type-3 or -4 femoral neck fracture.
METHODS: Records of 47 consecutive patients (40 female, 7 male) with type-3 or -4 femoral neck fracture (Garden classification) who underwent cemented total hip arthroplasty at our hospital during January 1999 to December 2002 were reviewed. Radiological and clinical (Harris functional hip score and Oxford hip score) assessments of 38 patients were measured with a mean follow-up period of 21 months (range, 4-48 months).
RESULTS: The mean age of the 47 patients was 75 years (range, 62-89 years). Records of 9 patients were excluded because of death, lost to follow-up, and development of deep infection that necessitated implant removal and excision arthroplasty. The mean Harris hip score of the 38 patients was 83 (range, 59-97), whereas the mean Oxford hip score was 25.2 (range, 14-33). Pain in the hips was absent in 30 patients, 6 had slight pain occasionally, and 2 patients had mild-to-moderate hip discomfort. No signs of aseptic loosening or change in implant position were noted on radiographic assessment. Two cases of dislocation were reduced by closed reduction. Two patients had deep wound infection and were treated with debridement, implant removal, and conversion to girdle stone.
CONCLUSION: This short-term study showed that total hip arthroplasty for femoral neck fracture had good postoperative results in functional hip and pain scores. More attention should be paid to coexisting medical illness (e.g. diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and ischaemic heart disease) and prevention of infection.
Fracture neck of the femur is rare in children and occurs following severe trauma. Several recommendations have been made for the treatment of displaced transcervical fracture type 11 (Delbet classification). However there are no recommendations when such a fracture occurs after recent acute osteomyelits of the neck of the femur. The management of a case is described with the outcome after 36 months.