Comparison of the Results of Internal Fixation of Femoral Neck Fracture According to the Fixation Methods

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: We wanted to compare the stability, the complications and the patients' functional recovery after undergoing internal fixation with dynamic hip screws or cannulated hip screws for treating fracture of the femoral neck. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Out of one hundred twenty six patients who had fracture of the femoral neck, seventy six patients were treated with cannulated screws and fifty patients were treated with dynamic hip screws from October 2000 to January 2007. The clinical information included the age and gender distribution, the operation time, the total blood loss, the interval from injury to operation, the etiology of the fractures and the functional outcome. The preoperative X-ray information included the fracture type by the Garden stage, the Singh index and the posterior cortex comminution. The postoperative information included the quality of reduction and the pin and screw position. The Garden alignment index, evidence of union, the FIM(TM) score, the complications and the failure rate. RESULTS: No statistical difference was noted between the two fixation methods regarding the gender, the initial fracture displacement, the postoperative reduction or the position of the fixation device, the functional outcome using FIMTM score and the complication. Yet the cannulated screw fixation group showed a significantly shorter operation time and less total blood loss (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: To decrease the operation time and blood loss, cannulated screw fixation is considered to be the more useful fixation method for treating fracture of the femoral neck.