The Clinical Resuts of Bipolar Hemiarthroplasty in Old Age-Femoral Neck Fracture vs. Intertrochanteric Fracture-

Kim, Dong Heon; Shin, Kyu Cheol; Chang, Byeong Chun; Kang, Dae Sul

Abstract

The peritrochanteric fracture remains one of the most common and potentially devastating injuries in the geriatric population. The goal of treatment is early ambulation to prevent the complications such as pressure sore, pneumonia, deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism and long time hospitalization by open reduction and internal fixation or closed reduction and internal rotation. In femoral neck fracture, many surgeons agree on the bipolar hemiarthroplasty but there is controversy about that treatment in intertrochanteric fracture. We have tried to assess the clinical outcome of bipolar hemiarthroplasty for the intertrochanteric fracture as compared with femoral neck fracture in old age. Ninty-five bipolar hemiarthroplasties were performed at our hospital, between January 1991 and February 1996. We selected 65 patients who had been followed for at least one year. Forty of sixty-five patients had femoral neck fractures and twenty-five of them intertrochanteric fractures. The results were as follows: 1. Regardless of using the cement, the partial weight bearing ambulation time after operation was 10.3 days in femoral neck fracture, 19.5 days in intertrichanteric fracture. 2. At one year follow-up the average Modified Harris Hip Score was 88.9 in femoral neck fracture, and 87.5 in intertrochanteric fracture. 3. Postoperative complications in case of femoral neck fracture included thigh pain in 4 patients, heterotopic ossification in 1, intraoperative fractures of the femoral shaft in 2, leg length inequality in 1 and dislocations after bipolar hemiarthroplasties in 3. And those in case of intertrochanteric fractures were thigh pain in 2 patients, heterotopic ossifications in 2, intraoperative fractures of the femoral shaft in 2 and dislocation after bipolar hemiarthroplasty in 1. 4. There were no statistically significant differences in the clinical functional score and complications between intertrochanteric and femoral neck fracture groups, therefore bipolar hemiarthroplasty can be recommended as one of the treatment of intertrochanteric fracture as well as femoral neck fracture in the elderly patient.