Bipolar hemiarthroplasty for fracture of the femoral neck. Clinical review with special emphasis on prosthetic motion.

The results of a consecutive series of 120 bipolar replacements of the femoral head that had been done for the treatment of a fracture of the femoral neck were reviewed. Ninety patients were followed for a minimum of two years. At the latest follow-up, eighty-two (91 per cent) of the patients were free of major pain, and eighty-three (92 per cent) were considered to have satisfactory motion and muscle power. Postoperative function often was limited by underlying medical problems. Seventy-five patients (83 per cent) either returned to the level of function that they had had before the fracture or used only a cane, which they had not needed previously. There was no important deterioration of the results with time. For twenty-six of the prostheses, roentgenograms were made with the patient bearing weight in order to determine the relative motion at the two sites of articulation of the bipolar prosthesis. The roentgenograms demonstrated the presence and maintenance of motion at both bearing surfaces.

Bipolar hemiarthroplasty for fracture of the femoral neck.

Controversy in the treatment of displaced femoral neck fractures in the elderly focuses on the use of fixation versus the use of a prosthesis. Beginning in 1980, at The New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center, it became routine to treat elderly patients for displaced fractures with bipolar hemiarthroplasty. This retrospective study evaluates the morbidity, mortality, and clinical and social functioning of 246 consecutive patients treated with bipolar hemiarthroplasty for Garden III and Garden IV nonpathological fractures. Follow-up ranged from 1 to 6 years. Of the 246 patients with 247 femoral neck fractures, 201 were female and 45 were male; the average age was 78 years. Fourteen patients (5.7%) died during the postoperative hospitalization. Thirty-one patients (13.3%) died within the first year following surgery. Mortality was related to the number of preexisting medical conditions: patients with four or more preexisting conditions had a significantly higher mortality than others (p less than 0.001: chi 2). The overall wound infection rate was 3.2%. There were only two failures (0.9%), both for deep infection, requiring Girdlestone debridement. One patient was revised for infection with successful reimplantation. There were two postoperative dislocations (0.9%), both reduced closed. Only one bipolar (0.4%) required conversion to a total hip replacement for a fractured acetabulum, none for arthritic wear. No radiographic evidence of significant acetabular erosion or protrusion nor femoral component loosening was noted. Clinical results were evaluated using the Hospital for Special Surgery Hip Rating Scale.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)