Outcomes of Femoral Neck Fractures Treated with Cannulated Internal Fixation in Elderly Patients: A Long‐Term Follow‐Up Study

• Published in: Orthopaedic surgery Vol. 12; no. 3; pp. 809 - 818
• Main Authors: Ju, Fa‐xin, Hou, Rui‐xing, Xiong, Jin, Shi, Hong‐fei, Chen, Yi‐xin, Wang, Jun‐fei
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Melbourne John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd 01.06.2020; John Wiley & Sons, Inc; Wiley
• Subjects: Age; Aged; Aged patients; Aged, 80 and over; Care and treatment; Classification; Clinical; Closed Fracture Reduction - methods; Closed reduction; Disability Evaluation; Female; Females; Femoral neck fracture; Femoral Neck Fractures - classification; Femoral Neck Fractures - surgery; Femur Head Necrosis - epidemiology; Follow-Up Studies; Fracture Fixation, Internal - methods; Fractures; Garden fracture type; Harris hip score; Humans; Internal fixation; Internal fixation in fractures; Joint surgery; Male; Medical research; Medicine, Experimental; Middle Aged; Mortality; Older people; Osteoporosis; Patient outcomes; Patients; Pauwels angle; Population; Prostheses; Retrospective Studies; Risk Factors; Studies; China; Femoral neck fracture; Internal fixation; Garden fracture type; Harris hip score; Pauwels angle
• ISSN: 1757-7853; 1757-7861
• DOI: 10.1111/os.12683

Objectives To evaluate the long‐term efficacy of cannulated internal fixation in patients who sustain femoral neck fracture (FNF) and risk factors influencing the outcomes. Methods This retrospective study analyzed data from 73 elderly patients aged ≥60 years old, hospitalized for FNF and treated with cannulated internal fixation between August 2008 and July 2016. The inclusion criteria were: (i) patients aged ≥60 years; (ii) patients with recent femoral neck fracture, with times of injury ranging from 12–72 h; and (iii) patients who underwent Garden II–IV closed reduction and internal fixation. Patients were classified based on the Garden fracture type and Pauwels angle. Clinical data and radiographs before and after the surgery were collected. Subsequently, surgery was performed with the patient in supine position, under general or lumbar epidural anesthesia. Closed reduction was performed until satisfactory fracture reduction quality was achieved. The weight of all included patients were <75 kg, and thus, minimal internal fixation was performed. The ischemic necrosis of the femoral head was diagnosed by considering the symptoms, signs, and radiological findings. Harris hip scores were used to evaluate postoperative recovery of hip function. Furthermore, relationships between Garden fracture type and necrosis rate of the femoral head, Pauwels angle and necrosis rate of the femoral head, Garden fracture type and Harris hip score, and age and Harris hip score were analyzed. Results The mean duration of surgery was 1 ± 0.17 h and blood loss for all the patients was approximately 15 mL. The included patients were followed up for 13–128 months, with an average follow‐up of 61 months. Among the included 73 patients, 65 (89.0%) exhibited satisfactory union, seven (9.6%) had femoral head necrosis, and one (1.4%) had nonunion. For seven patients with femoral head necrosis, there were two, two, and three patients classified as Garden IV, Garden III, and Garden II, respectively, and two and five patients classified as Pauwels II and Pauwels III, respectively. Among the seven cases, four underwent hip replacement. Garden fracture type was not significantly associated with femoral head necrosis (χ2 = 0.44, P > 0.05) or Harris score (χ2 = 1.43, P > 0.05). Patients with Pauwels I (0%) and II (4.3%) fractures exhibited a significantly lower necrosis rate than those with Pauwels III fractures (41.7%) (P < 0.05). Conclusions Cannulated internal fixation was more suitable for older Chinese patients with Pauwels I/II fractures than those with Pauwels III fractures.