What is the Fate of Undisplaced Femoral Neck Fractures Treated With Cannulated Screws?

BACKGROUND: We aimed to report implant survival in Garden type I and II femoral neck fractures treated with cannulated screws in elderly patients. METHODS: We retrospectively studied 232 consecutive unilateral Garden I and II patients (232 fractures) treated with cannulated screws. Mean age was 81 years (range, 65 to 100), and a body mass index of 25 (range, 15.8 to 38.3). No between-group differences were found in demographic variables and/or baseline measurements (P > .05). Mean follow-up was 36 months (range, 1 to 171). Two observers measured baseline radiographic variables with good-to-excellent interobserver reliability. The posterior tilt angle, measured on a cross-table lateral x-ray, was used to classify the cohort into <20° (n = 183) and ≥20° (n = 49). The cumulative incidence with competing risk analysis was used to predict association between posterior tilt and subsequent conversion to arthroplasty. Patient survival was calculated with the Kaplan-Meier estimate. RESULTS: Implant survival was 86.3% (95% confidence interval (CI) 80 to 90) at 12 months and 77.3% (95% CI 64 to 86) at 70 months. The 12-month cumulative incidence failure was 12.6% (95% CI 8 to 17). After controlling for confounders, posterior tilt ≥20° had higher risk of subsequent arthroplasty when compared to posterior tilt <20° (38.8 [95% CI 25 to 52] versus 5% [95% CI 2.8 to 9], subhazard ratio 8.3, 95% CI 3.8 to 18), without any other radiologic or demographic factor being associated with failure. Patient survival was 88.2% (95% CI 83 to 91.7) at 12 months, 79.5% (95% CI 73 to 84) at 24 months, and 57% (95% CI 48 to 65) at 70 months. CONCLUSION: Cannulated screws were a reliable treatment for Garden I and II fractures, except when there was posterior tilt ≥20°, where arthroplasty should be considered.

Luxación de cadera asociada a fractura del extremo proximal de fémur: reporte de caso y revisión del tema / Hip dislocation associated with fracture of the proximal end of the femur: case report and literature review / Luxação do quadril associada a fratura da extremidade proximal do fêmur: relato de caso e revisão da literatura

Las luxaciones traumáticas de cadera son poco frecuentes, y es excepcional la asociación lesional con fracturas del extremo proximal de fémur, habitualmente producidas por accidentes de alta energía. Un correcto diagnóstico, y tratamiento adecuado de la fractura, es la conducta ideal para disminuir las complicaciones. Presentamos el caso de un paciente masculino 49 años trabajador de la construcción que, en un accidente de tránsito, sufre una luxación de cadera asociado a fractura de cuello femoral, con excepcional presentación radiológica, con lesión del nervio CPE (ciático poplíteo externo), en que se realizó artroplastia total de cadera, con buena evolución y rehabilitación, retornando a su actividad laboral a los 11 meses del accidente. A propósito de este caso, realizamos una revisión bibliográfica para evaluar el tratamiento propuesto, el ideal, y pronóstico funcional de estas lesiones.

Traumatic hip dislocations are rare, and associated injuries involving fractures of the proximal end of the femur, usually as a result of high-energy accidents, are exceptional. A correct diagnosis and adequate treatment of the fracture is the most appropriate way to reduce complications. We present the case of a 49-year-old male construction worker who, as a result of a traffic accident, suffers from a hip dislocation associated with a femoral neck fracture, with exceptional radiological presentation, with injury to the EPS (External Popliteal Sciatic) nerve. Total hip arthropathy was performed, with good evolution and rehabilitation, and patient returned to work 11 months after the accident. In this particular case, we carried out a bibliographic review to evaluate the proposed treatment, the ideal treatment, and the functional prognosis of these injuries.

As luxações traumáticas do quadril são raras, e a associação de lesão com fraturas da extremidade proximal do fêmur, geralmente causada por acidentes de alta energia, é excepcional. O diagnóstico correto e o tratamento adequado da fratura é a abordagem ideal para reduzir as complicações. Apresentamos o caso de um operário da construção civil, 49 anos, que, em acidente de trânsito, sofre luxação de quadril associada a fratura do colo do fêmur, com apresentação radiológica excepcional, com lesão do nervo ciático poplíteo externo (CPE), em onde foi realizada a artroplastia total do quadril, com boa evolução e reabilitação, retornando ao trabalho 11 meses após o acidente. Em relação a este caso, realizamos uma revisão bibliográfica para avaliar o tratamento proposto, o ideal e o prognóstico funcional dessas lesões.

Ipsilateral femoral neck and shaft fractures. When do we need further image screening of the hip?

OBJECTIVE: The objective of the present study was to identify patterns of femoral diaphyseal fractures which are associated with fractures of the ipsilateral femoral neck according to the AO classification. We propose an algorithm of investigation based on plain radiographs, recognizing cases that need additional screening with computed tomography. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This observational retrospective study included patients with combined diaphyseal and femoral neck fractures. These patients were retrieved from a total of 1398 patients with the diagnoses of diaphyseal fractures of the femur, who were admitted to our hospital for surgical treatment between January 2009 and October 2019. All included cases had both fractures analyzed for their geometry and were classified according to the AO Classification, seeking to find a correlation between the types of fractures. RESULTS: Sixteen diaphyseal fractures associated with ipsilateral neck fractures were detected during the period. The distribution of the diaphyseal fractures according to the AO Classification was as follows: 5 of type A3 (31,2%) 6 type B2 (37.5%), 1 type B3 (6,2%), 2 type C2 (12,5%) and 2 type C3 (12,5%). One A2 femoral fracture occurred during the surgical procedure. No type A1 fractures were detected. CONCLUSION: The patterns of high-energy diaphyseal fractures (A3, B and C) have a higher prevalence of associated ipsilateral neck fractures. Our study suggests that routine additional methods of image investigation of femoral neck fractures may be unnecessary for diaphyseal fractures type A1 and A2.

Femoral Neck Fractures in Children: Issues, Challenges, and Solutions.

Femoral neck fractures in children are rare injuries resulting from high-energy trauma. Different methods of treatment, lack of standard management protocols, and the high risk of complications make this injury one of the biggest challenges that an orthopaedic surgeon can face. This review focuses on the general aspects of the pediatric femoral neck fracture management as well as its complications and possible solutions.

Bilateral femoral neck stress fractures in a high-performance young female runner.

A 16-year-old female patient showed up at the orthopaedics unit complaining of intolerable pain on her left hip. While being questioned and her clinical history written down, she shared that as part of her daily exercise routine, she ran 10 miles (16 km) daily at a speed of 9.5-10.5 mph (15-17 km/hour). MRI was consequently ordered, confirming the presence of a stress fracture. Therefore, immediate suspension of physical activity was indicated, followed by the prescription of crutches as well as restricted weight bearing. Gradually, she recovered complete functionality and approximately a month after she had entirely healed. While on a skiing trip, again she abruptly developed an acute pain on her right hip. Another MRI was ordered; its result confirmed a new stress fracture. Her previous treatment has proved so successful, a conservative approach was once again prescribed for her, showing optimum results 6 months later.

The Community Orthopaedic Surgeon Taking Trauma Call: Pediatric Femoral Neck Fracture Pearls and Pitfalls.

Pediatric hip fractures are uncommon injuries but are associated with a high complication rate including avascular necrosis, coxa vara, nonunion, and premature physeal arrest. This is due in part to the unique anatomy of the proximal femur. Management principles are aimed at minimizing the risk of complications and emphasize the importance of early treatment with anatomic reduction and stable internal fixation with a low threshold for supplementing fixation with a spica cast. The age of the patient and Delbet fracture type dictate the optimal type of fixation for a given case. This article will offer evidence and experience-based tips intended to benefit on-call surgeons caring for these injuries.

Fractura por estrés del cuello del fémur en una niña hiperactiva tratada con metilfenidato: Reporte de caso / Femoral neck stress fracture in a hyperactive child taking methylphenidate. Case report

Las fracturas por estrés afectan, con mayor frecuencia, a personas físicamente activas con hueso normal y son infrecuentes en los niños con placa de crecimiento abierta. Aun más infrecuentes son las fracturas por estrés del cuello femoral en la población pediátrica. Sin embargo, constituyen entidades muy importantes debido al riesgo de complicaciones graves, como la necrosis avascular. Se describe el caso de una niña de 7 años medicada con metilfenidato que sufrió una fractura por estrés del cuello del fémur atípica. La paciente consulta por dolor inguinal derecho sin limitaciones en las actividades cotidianas. La radiografía muestra una fractura por estrés del cuello del fémur, que se confirma con tomografía. Se instaura un tratamiento conservador, y la paciente está asintomática a las cuatro semanas. Este caso representa una alerta sobre esta infrecuente entidad en la que podrían presentarse errores diagnósticos. Investigaciones recientes también sugieren la posible participación de fármacos, como el metilfenidato, en la desmineralización ósea, que podría constituir un posible factor de riesgo de fractura. Nivel de Evidencia: IV

Stress fractures most commonly affect physically active individuals with normal bone, and they are rare in children with open growth plates. Even rarer are femoral neck stress fractures in pediatric age. Nevertheless, they constitute a very important entity due to the risk of severe complications, such as avascular necrosis. A seven-year-old girl, treated with methylphenidate, who suffered an atypical femoral neck stress fracture is presented. Patient complained of right inguinal pain without daily life activity limitations. The radiograph showed a stress femoral neck fracture, confirmed by CT imaging. Conservative treatment was instituted and the patient became asymptomatic after 4 weeks. This case report alerts the clinicians about this rare entity that might be misdiagnosed. Recent research also suggests a possible involvement of drugs, such as methylphenidate, in bone demineralization, which might constitute a possible risk factor for fractures. Level of Evidence: IV

Fractura bilateral del cuello femoral por fatiga / Bilateral stress fracture of the femoral neck

Las denominadas fracturas por fatiga o por estrés ocurren en un hueso normal sometido a reiterados episodios de esfuerzo, aunque de menor requerimiento para causar una fractura aguda. Se presenta a una paciente de 63 años de edad, obesa, con antecedentes de salud anterior que comienza a presentar dolor en ambas regiones de la articulación de la cadera, limitando los movimientos e imposibilitando la marcha. Se le realizaron estudios de imagen donde se le diagnosticó una fractura bilateral del cuello femoral, la izquierda de mejor identificación que la derecha. El tratamiento consistió en osteosíntesis de la fractura izquierda con clavo deslizante, y tratamiento conservador mediante reposo de la cadera derecha. La evolución fue satisfactoria, a los 3 meses habían desaparecido los síntomas y a los 6 meses la paciente deambulaba sin dificultad. La asistencia temprana a esta afección es importante para decidir la terapéutica a emplear y de esta manera evitar las complicaciones(AU)

The so called fatigue or stress fractures occur in a normal bone subjected to repeated episodes of stress, albeit of lesser requirement to cause an acute fracture. We present a 63-year-old obese patient with a history of previous health that begins to present pain in both regions of the hip joint, limiting movements and making gait impossible. Imaging studies were performed in which a bilateral fracture of the femoral neck was diagnosed, the left being better identified than the right one. The treatment consisted of osteosynthesis of the left fracture with a sliding nail, and conservative treatment by resting the right hip. The evolution was satisfactory, at 3 months the symptoms had disappeared and at 6 months the patient walked without difficulty. Early care for this condition is important in deciding which therapy to use and thus avoid complications(AU)

Fractura de cuello femoral en trauma de alta energía: ¿podemos confiar en la tomografía computarizada multicorte? caso clínico / High energy femoral neck fracture: can we trust the computerized tomography scan? case report

Las fracturas asociadas de diáfisis y cuello femoral son lesiones infrecuentes. A pesar de ser una asociación conocida, es pasada por alto entre un 19-31% de las veces. A continuación presentamos un caso de una fractura de diáfisis femoral en la cual la tomografía computarizada inicial no evidenció ningún rasgo a nivel del cuello femoral; sin embargo, este rasgo se hizo presente en las imágenes de control. Existen diversos exámenes para reconocer las fracturas de cuello femoral asociadas a diáfisis femoral, como la radiografía y la tomografía computarizada. Sin embargo, a pesar de estas imágenes, pueden no ser diagnosticadas. Con este caso reafirmamos la necesidad del uso de imágenes preoperatorias e intraoperatorias en pacientes con fracturas de diáfisis femoral de alta energía y que la tomografía computarizada multicorte de ingreso puede no evidenciar fracturas mínimamente desplazadas del cuello femoral.

Simultaneous fractures of the neck and shaft of the femur are uncommon injuries. Despite it being a known combination, it is overlooked in between 19 and 31% of cases. This case report describes a femoral shaft fracture in which the initial computed tomography did not show the femoral neck fracture, although it was present in the follow-up images. There are different imaging techniques to recognise femoral neck fractures associated with femoral shaft fractures, such as radiography and computed tomography. However, despite these images, they cannot be diagnosed. This case re-affirms the need for using imaging techniques before and during the operation in patients presenting with high energy femoral shaft fractures, in order to look for an associated femoral neck fracture. Although the use of fine-cut computed tomography scan may improve the diagnostic accuracy of this test, some femoral neck fractures will still go under-diagnosed.

Unusual presentation of a femoral stress fracture.

Stress fractures are common injuries in sports medicine. Among these fractures, femoral neck stress fractures frequently have a benign course, especially when it happens in the medial aspect of the neck. This case report describes a stress fracture of the medial aspect of the femoral neck that developed a complete fracture and underwent surgical fixation.

[Vertebral fractures, osteoporosis and vitamin D levels in Chilean postmenopausal women]. / Fracturas vertebrales, osteoporosis y vitamina D en la posmenopausia: Estudio en 555 mujeres en Chile.

BACKGROUND: Approximately one-third of vertebral fractures can be clinically diagnosed. AIM: To study the frequency of vertebral fractures in postmenopausal women. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We recruited 555 postmenopausal women from Santiago, Chile, aged 55-84 years, who manifested interest in their bone health. All were healthy by self-declaration and by general clinical and laboratory tests and had not taken any bone-active therapy. They all underwent a spine and femoral neck (FN) densitometry and a digital lateral spine X-ray from T4 to L4 was obtained. PTH, calcidiol, and other parameters of calcium metabolism were also measured. RESULTS: Overall, 142 of 478 patients with a complete study (29.7%) had at least one vertebral fracture. The proportion of women with fractures increased with age. A T score below -2.5 in the spine and hip was found in 32% and 14% of women, respectively. The proportion of women with spinal osteoporosis doubled between ages 55-70 and remained constant afterwards. In contrast, at the femoral neck, this proportion increased progressively reaching 53.3% at age 80-85. However, 56% of patients with vertebral fractures did not have densitometric osteoporosis in any location. Calcidiol levels were 16.8+/-6.8 ng/mL. With a cutoff point of 17 ng/mL, 47.5% of the patients had hypovitaminosis D. There was no association between calcidiol levels and vertebral fractures or bone density at the spine or femoral neck. Patients with fractures differed from those without fractures in that they had significantly lower bone density at the spine and hip and were older (p <0.001). However they did not differ in weight, body mass index, or calcidiol levels. CONCLUSIONS: Thirty percent of postmenopausal women in this series had a vertebral fractures. Osteoporosis and vitamin D deficiency were also common. Most vertebral fractures were observed in women without osteoporosis by densitometric criteria.

Classification and diagnosis of intracapsular fractures of the proximal femur.

Intracapsular fractures of the hip have been classified by different authors with a basis on various concepts. Pauwels classified these fractures according to the angle of inclination; Linton used trabecular disposition among the fractural fragments, and Garden described four types according to the order of displacement. The AO group used the comprehensive classification of fractures of the long bones and divided them among types, groups, and subgroups. However, the presence of posterior comminution of the femoral neck in intracapsular fractures as a factor foretelling instability was overlooked by each of the aforementioned classifications. With a basis on the factors previously described, the current authors developed a classification in which the criteria of instability in intracapsular fractures are given priority. Consequently, the characteristics of full or partial lines, angulation, displacement, and the presence of posterior comminution have been considered. Radiology is the first complementary study for diagnosis; it enables observation of the fracture line or trabecular changes in most cases and fragmental displacement and posterior comminution of the neck. In patients with stress fractures, radiographs often fail to show alterations, so a different diagnostic methodology is required. A diagnosis algorithm is presented. Differential diagnoses are focused toward diseases that may reveal images of pseudofractures.

Hip dislocations associated with ipsilateral femoral neck fracture.

Two cases of subcapital fracture associated with hip dislocation, treated with primary uncemented Total Hip Replacement are presented.

Are the etiologies of cervical and trochanteric hip fractures different?

Review of results published in the past few years indicates that there are several differences between women sustaining trochanteric fractures of cervical hip fractures. In most series women with trochanteric fractures are older, shorter, and lighter than those with cervical fractures. The bone mineral density was found to be lower in trochanteric fractures, but although in the majority of the studies the diminution was statistically significant at the level of the trochanter and spine--with predominant trabecular bone--the decrease was not uniformly significant at the level of the femoral neck or total skeleton. Previous vertebral fractures were twice as common in patients with trochanteric fractures. Ultrasound exploration of the calcaneus disclosed that the values were significantly lower in women with trochanteric fractures and this finding was independent of the diminution of the bone mineral density. On the other hand, fall biomechanics have not been found to be different in the two types of hip fractures. In summary, women with trochanteric fractures have a more severe and generalized bone loss, especially of the trabecular component. Cervical fractures seem to be more related to pelvic structure-failure of the outer diameter of the femoral neck to expand with age and increased acetabular bone width-added to a focal bone loss. The two main types of fractures should be treated separately in epidemiological or clinical studies to increase the knowledge and the possibilities of preventing hip fractures.

Bone mineral density in patients with cervical and trochanteric fractures of the proximal femur.

The bone mineral density (BMD) of the proximal femur, spine and radius shaft was determined in 75 women with atraumatic fractures of the proximal femur (FXf) (average age: 70.1 +/- 9.6 years) and 51 controls of similar age. Fractures were classified as either cervical (n = 36) or trochanteric (n = 39) on the basis of radiographic and surgical finding. The BMD of spine and proximal femur was determined by dual-photon absorptiometry (Lunar DP3) and the BMD of the radius shaft by single photon absorptiometry. The BMD of patients with FXf was significantly decreased over all skeletal sites compared to controls of similar age. No significant correlation was found between age and the BMD of the femoral neck in patients with FXf. Patients with trochanteric FXf were older and thinner (average: age, 72.9 +/- 9.4 years; weight, 53.1 +/- 7.8 kg) compared with patients with cervical fractures (age, 67.2 +/- 8.9 years; weight, 59.3 +/- 8.3 kg). Likewise the BMD of trochanteric FXf was lower at all measured sites: femoral neck, 0.548 +/- 0.066 g/cm2 vs 0.624 +/- 0.055 g/cm2 (P less than 0.001); L2-L4, 0.799 +/- 0.115 g/cm2 vs 0.925 +/- 0.106 g/cm2 (P less than 0.001); radius shaft, 0.454 +/- 0.057 g/cm2 vs 0.502 +/- 0.083 g/cm2 (P less than 0.05). Of the patients with trochanteric fractures 66% had concomitant vertebral fractures, while this occurred in only 28% of the patients with cervical fractures (P (Fisher) = 0.0007). In summary, females with trochanteric FXf are older, thinner, have less bone mass in all measured sites and suffer with a significantly greater frequency of vertebral fractures.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)